Coal-tar epoxy removal on an in-service pipeline, without blast containment
Coal-tar epoxy was removed and the steel profiled to an SP10-comparable standard using a two-step mechanical method. Tercoo® for bulk removal, Bristle Blaster® for cleaning and profile, with no loose abrasive, no blast containment, and no line shutdown.
The challenge
A refinery operator needed to recoat a section of in-service carbon-steel pipeline coated in aged coal-tar epoxy, one of the toughest industrial coatings to remove. The site had hard constraints: abrasive blasting was prohibited near live process equipment, containment was impractical in the congested rack, and the line could not be taken out of service.
Traditional grit blasting would have required full containment, media handling, and a shutdown window the operator couldn't afford. They needed a method that could remove a stubborn coating and deliver a verified, coating-ready profile, cleanly, in place.
The method applied
The MontiPower® two-step method was specified: heavy removal first, then cleaning and profiling.
- Remove (Tercoo®): rotating tungsten-carbide-pinned discs broke up and removed the bulk coal-tar epoxy without generating heat that would smear the coating.
- Profile (Bristle Blaster®): the same drive unit's bristle belt then cleaned to bare steel and generated the anchor profile in a single pass, cold-working the surface, no grit.
- Verify (M-TESTCO®): surface cleanliness and profile depth were measured and documented before any coating was applied.
The measured result
The prepared surface met the coating manufacturer's specification on the first inspection. Key measured outcomes:
Because the method produced no airborne grit and required no enclosure, adjacent equipment kept running and the recoat proceeded without a shutdown. The operator reported faster turnaround than a blast-and-contain cycle would have allowed.
| Factor | Grit blasting | MontiPower® two-step |
|---|---|---|
| Containment required | Yes | No |
| Line shutdown | Likely | No |
| Loose abrasive cleanup | Yes | None |
| Profile verified to spec | Yes | Yes |
Facing a similar coating-removal challenge?
Coal-tar epoxy, in-service constraints, no-blast-containment requirement, tell us your situation.
Talk to a specialist →Why it worked
The result came from matching the right step to the right problem: Tercoo® for the brute-force removal coal-tar epoxy demands, then the Bristle Blaster® for the precise cleanliness and profile a high-performance coating needs. One drive unit, one accountable method, a verified surface, exactly the case the system is built for.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. A two-step mechanical method. Tercoo® for bulk removal followed by Bristle Blaster® for cleaning and profiling, removes coal-tar epoxy and produces a surface comparable to SSPC-SP10, without loose abrasive or blast containment.
The Bristle Blaster® produces a cleanliness comparable to abrasive blasting and an anchor profile of 65–85 µm Rz (2.6–3.3 mil), suitable for most industrial protective coatings.
Yes. In the ATEX-approved pneumatic configuration it generates no sparks and requires no blast containment, making it well suited to in-service and hot-work-restricted environments where blasting is impractical.