Building on the success of its award-winning Heat-Flex CUI-mitigation coatings, Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine has earned two notable energy industry awards for its innovative, next-generation industrial thermal insulative system Heat-Flex Advanced Energy Barrier (AEB). This revolutionary thermal insulative system not only offers excellent thermal efficiency but also eliminates the costly and dangerous phenomenon of corrosion under insulation (CUI). The honours for Heat-Flex AEB include a 2025 Gulf Energy Information Excellence Award for Best Coating/Corrosion Advancement Technology and a 2025 Vaaler Award from Chemical Processing.
‘We engineered Heat-Flex AEB to replace the bulky mineral-based insulation that’s traditionally used on storage tanks, process vessels, valves, fittings and piping to retain process heat,’ says Neil Wilds, global product director, CUI/Testing, Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine. ‘This replacement thereby removes the corrosion zone between traditional insulation and the substrate, eliminating the potential for CUI to form by default. Winning two big industry awards for the technology is a testament to the system’s ability to reduce costs associated with corrosion, improve carbon footprints and enhance efficiencies for operators in the energy industry.’
By eliminating insulation and the threat of CUI, Heat-Flex AEB offers a solution that is less resource-intensive than traditional insulating production systems. In addition, because Heat-Flex AEB rivals the thermal retention capabilities of those traditional mineral-based insulation systems, it offers a more sustainable approach to insulating assets, providing a highly efficient solution for maintaining optimal operating temperatures. It also maintains consistent thermal efficiency, even in extreme environments.
Heat-Flex AEB works by building a thick film of highly insulative material onto assets required to maintain operating temperatures up to 350°F (177°C), with excursions to 400°F (204°C). The thermal insulative system retains process heat inside the applied assets, allowing them to continue operating even in extreme environments. It also reduces burn risk for employees working in close proximity to hot assets.
The thermal insulative system rivals the in-service thermal performance of traditional mineral-based insulation systems due to their tendency to absorb and trap moisture that infiltrates their exterior cladding. This moisture dramatically reduces the insulating capacity of the insulation – with losses of up to 85% of its R-value when 10% water by volume is present in the mineral wool – and contributes to the acceleration of CUI. Heat-Flex AEB doesn’t face the same issues, as its closed-cell film structure minimises moisture absorption. Therefore, it maintains thermal consistency and will remain at that same level of insulating capacity throughout its service life.
