March 21, 2022
While food is sure to be on almost everyone’s mind at some point throughout the day, the irrigation that supports hundreds of millions of hectares of cropland around the globe is probably not. Even farther from most minds is irrigation pipe corrosion, which can have a serious impact on upkeep costs for farmers who rely on pivot systems or other irrigation equipment to sustain their crops. Whether or not this is the first time or the hundredth time corrosion concerns have crossed farmers’ minds, Cortec® has already developed an answer: EcoLine® AL-Corr™, a biobased corrosion inhibitor to help extend the service life of aluminum irrigation pipes.
The Importance of Asset Maintenance
Corrosion is an unseen but powerful enemy of irrigation equipment integrity. Due to the constant presence of water and oxygen, irrigation pipe internals are a naturally corrosive environment. The risk of corrosion is even higher for irrigation systems fed by groundwater with high chloride or sulfide content. If unchecked, corrosion can have serious repercussions on the functionality of pipes and center pivot systems, leading to leakage, clogging, and other damage. These problems interrupt efficient operation and waterflow, increase water waste, and necessitate earlier and more extensive repairs or replacements. Since equipment is one of the costliest aspects of irrigation, the regular use of EcoLine® AL-Corr™ can have a potentially huge ROI in the long run, both in terms of financial savings and avoiding agricultural equipment downtime and repairs.
Dosing and Effectiveness of EcoLine® AL-Corr™
EcoLine® AL-Corr™ is specifically designed to protect aluminum irrigation pipes during operation or intermittent use. It may be especially critical at times when irrigation pipes are sitting idle with residual moisture and plenty of air to feed the oxidation process. These internally corroding pipes may go unnoticed until the equipment is started up again, so it is important to apply treatment in advance. EcoLine® AL-Corr™ is effective at low dosages and should be added to irrigation water at a rate of 250-500 ppm. Corrosion testing according to ASTM G31 found that EcoLine® AL-Corr™ reduced corrosion on aluminum in immersion conditions by more than 90% over a period of five weeks.
Considering the Environment
In addition to developing practical corrosion solutions for a multitude of industries, Cortec® Corporation is bent on finding options that take the environment into account to minimize pollution and boost sustainability. EcoLine® AL-Corr™ demonstrates this in two respects. At the beginning of the product’s life cycle, Cortec® draws on renewable raw materials to make EcoLine® AL-Corr™. EcoLine® AL-Corr™ contains 81% USDA certified biobased content and is a qualified product under the mandatory federal purchasing initiative of the USDA BioPreferred® Program.* At the end of the product life cycle, Cortec® has also considered the impact of EcoLine® AL-Corr™ as a product mixed with water directly released on farm fields. Cortec® chose to use biodegradable ingredients approved for use in personal care products and food preservation. Furthermore, the product does not contain phosphates or nitrites, two minerals that contribute to nutrient pollution in farm water runoff.
Mitigate Corrosion on Irrigation Pipes
Water treatment takes many forms. The corrosion protection of irrigation water pipes is not one that initially comes to mind. Still, it is a legitimate
concern that can be mitigated by the simple preventative maintenance step of adding EcoLine® AL-Corr™ to irrigation water. Contact Cortec® today
for personal assistance in addressing the problem of irrigation pipe corrosion to extend service life:https://www.cortecwatertreatment.com/contact-us/
Learn more about EcoLine® AL-Corr™ here:
https://www.cortecvci.com/products/biocortec-sustainableenvironmentally-friendly-resources/ecoline-al-corr/
*For more information about the BioPreferred® Program, go to http://www.biopreferred.gov.
Keywords: irrigation pipe corrosion, Cortec, biobased corrosion inhibitor, aluminum irrigation pipes, BioPreferred Program, nutrient
pollution, agricultural equipment downtime, EcoLine, preventative maintenance, federal purchasing
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