USE OF MICROWAVES FOR THE DETECTION OF CORROSION UNDER INSULATION: A SENSITIVITY STUDY.

Corrosion under insulation is a significant cause of pipeline failure in the oil and gas industry. This paper describes the initial developmental stages of a technique which uses the structure of an insulated pipeline as a coaxial waveguide to support the propagation of microwaves. These microwaves are used to inspect the insulation layer for the presence of water, which will indicate the regions of the pipe at risk from corrosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]