Xylan® coating.
Xylan® is not sold over the counter. PPG supplies the line only to applicators it has qualified after a process audit — Sapucaia has held that qualification since 2021. On a zinc-nickel base, the system runs over 3,500 h in ASTM B117.
Fluoropolymer on an FPSO bolt needs a qualified applicator.
The Petrobras bolting specification, I-ET-3010.00-1200-251-P4X-001 rev. F (June 2024), accepts a fluoropolymer coating in place of zinc-nickel (§5.3.4.1) and recommends PTFE for high-strength bolting (§5.5.2), where electrodeposited coatings are restricted because of hydrogen.
Section 5.3.4.4 then sets the condition that decides who can supply it: the bolt coating applicator must be qualified by the coating manufacturer under an approved quality programme. For Xylan®, that is the PPG qualification — without it, an equipment manufacturer cannot use the coating on bolting for an FPSO at all.
The specification covers bolting within valves, instruments and equipment on the topside. It does not apply to subsea fasteners.
The system, against the acceptance criterion.
Section 8.3.2.5 of the same specification asks the coating to sustain over 1,000 h of ASTM B117 salt spray without red rust. These are the systems we apply on a zinc-nickel base to ASTM B841, each with its source named.
| System | Thickness | Salt spray · ASTM B117 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zinc-nickel + Xylan® 1070 | base 8 to 15 µm + top coat 16 µm | over 3,500 h | Sapucaia technical material |
| Zinc-nickel + Xylan® 1424 | base 8 to 15 µm + top coat 16 µm | over 3,500 h | performance specified by Sapucaia |
Zinc-nickel protects by sacrifice and keeps protecting where the film is scratched through; the fluoropolymer adds a chemical barrier against the process fluid and a predictable friction coefficient on the thread. Class and grade of the base come from your order, within ASTM B841.
Chosen by service condition, not by number.
Solvent-based, the widest temperature range
−195 °C to 260 °C. Applied at 15 to 25 µm on its own, or 16 µm as the top coat over zinc-nickel. Friction coefficient 0.124 static and 0.047 dynamic in ASTM G99, pin-on-disc.
Water-based, for process components
−20 °C to 180 °C. Chosen where the chemical inertness of the fluoropolymer is the requirement — the part in contact with production or control fluid.
PTFE with MoS₂, for high load at low speed
Manufacturer's data sheet: dual dry lubrication, −50 °C to +175 °C continuous with a +204 °C peak, friction coefficient 0.05 to 0.10, up to 150,000 psi at low speed, 20 to 30 µm recommended.
For the 1014 line, our sales team indicates the right option against your end client's standard.
Any colour, to the grade code on your drawing.
Section 5.3.4.3 of the Petrobras specification uses colour to identify the bolt grade: blue for B7, grey for L7, red for L43, yellow for B7M, green for L7M, orange for B16. We buy and apply whichever colour the drawing calls for — on Xylan® and on our own PTFE line alike.
Applied in Guarulhos, São Paulo, Brazil, under ISO 9001:2015. Coating thickness measured in our own laboratory by X-ray fluorescence, with standards traceable to an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory. Data sheets in Portuguese: Xylan® / PPG. vendas@sapucaia.com
What specifiers ask.
Can anyone buy Xylan® and apply it?
No. PPG — formerly Whitford — supplies the line only to applicators it has qualified after a process audit. Sapucaia has held that qualification since 2021, for the XYLAN® and XYLAR® lines. Without it there is no product to buy and no coated part to deliver, which is why the qualification matters more to a buyer than any adjective on a data sheet.
Does Xylan® meet the Petrobras bolting specification?
Petrobras I-ET-3010.00-1200-251-P4X-001 rev. F (June 2024) accepts a fluoropolymer coating in place of zinc-nickel (§5.3.4.1) and recommends PTFE for high-strength bolting (§5.5.2). Section 5.3.4.4 adds the condition that decides who can supply it: the applicator must be qualified by the coating manufacturer under an approved quality programme. That is the PPG qualification. The specification covers bolting on FPSO topsides — valves, instruments and equipment — not subsea fasteners.
Which Xylan® line should I specify?
The one your service conditions point to. Xylan® 1070 is solvent-based and works from −195 °C to 260 °C; 1424 is water-based for a more moderate range, −20 °C to 180 °C; 1425 is water-based with dual PTFE and MoS₂ lubrication, for high load at low speed. Temperature, contact pressure and the fluid the part sees decide it — not the line number.
Does Xylan® replace zinc-nickel?
Sometimes — and in oil and gas usually not. A fluoropolymer is a barrier: it protects while the film is intact. Zinc-nickel is sacrificial: it keeps protecting the steel where the coating has been scratched through. That is why critical specifications ask for both, as a system, and why the hours we publish are for that system.
Can you match the colour code for bolt grades?
Yes, any colour, on Xylan® and on our own PTFE line alike. Section 5.3.4.3 of the Petrobras specification uses colour to identify the bolt grade — blue for B7, grey for L7, red for L43, yellow for B7M, green for L7M, orange for B16 — and we buy and apply whichever your drawing calls for.
How do I get a quote?
Send the technical drawing and the coating standard. With those two our sales team returns the system, the line and the thickness, not just a price. Send both by e-mail to vendas@sapucaia.com, with the drawing attached.