PFI Standard ES-5

| Denotes Revision (Reaffirmed November 2020)

CLEANING OF
FABRICATED PIPING

Prepared by
Pipe Fabrication Institute Engineering Committee

All PFI Standards are advisory only. There is no

agreement to adhere to any PFI Standard and
their use by anyone is entirely voluntary.

Copyright by

PIPE FABRICATION INSTITUTE

Dedicated to Technical Advancements and Standardization in
the Pipe Fabrication Industry
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 PFI Standard ES-5
| Denotes Revision (Reaffirmed November 2020)

CLEANING OF FABRICATED PIPING

1. Scope
This standard describes methods normally used to 4.2 Special Methods – Ferritic Materials
clean fabricated pipe assemblies, the limitations of
the methods and results to be expected. This 4.2.1 Rotary Tools
standard defines two levels of cleaning. Unless
stated otherwise, the standard level of cleaning will Rotary type (turbinizing) tools will
be provided. substantially remove most loosely adhering
mill scale and a significant portion of very
2. Selection of Cleaning Method heavy rust. They will not remove tight mill
scale, heat treatment scale, medium to fine
2.1 General rust or any pitting. This type of cleaning is
The need for and degree of cleanliness on limited to internal surfaces only.
fabricated piping assemblies are dictated by the 4.2.2 Wire Brushing
system requirements, the degree to which the
system can be cleaned after installation and the Steel wire brushing will remove medium to
need for removal of contaminants picked up light rust, but will not remove tight mill or
during fabrication. Acceptance Criteria for heat treatment scale. It is limited to readily
various levels of cleanliness shall be a matter of accessible surfaces only.
prior agreement between the fabricator and 4.2.3 Grinding
purchaser.
Grinding will remove rust, tight scale, pits,
2.2 Size and Configuration of Assembly etc. from readily accessible surfaces only.
Appropriate care must be taken to avoid
In selecting a method of cleaning, the size and grinding below the minimum allowable wall
configuration of the part or assembly must be thickness.
considered to permit visual examination of the
interior and to allow complete drainage or 4.2.4 Blasting
removal of the cleaning materials. The most common method for removal of
tight mill or heat treatment scale is blasting
3. Standard Cleaning with sand, steel shot, or grit. This is most
effective in producing a bare metal surface.
Unless otherwise specified by the customer, Both internal and external surfaces may be
cleaning will consist of removing all non- cleaned by this method, but proper cleaning
adhering material such as loose scale, sand, weld of piping internals is limited by accessibility
spatter particles, rust, cutting chips, etc., from to blasting equipment. Care should be taken
the inside of the piping assembly by any suitable in establishing configuration of fabricated
means. This level of cleaning will allow the piping assemblies, which require internal
presence of mill scale, surface rust, and tightly blasting after fabrication so that all internal
adhered weld spatter. surfaces will be accessible to blasting
equipment. See PFI Standard ES-29 for a
4. Special Cleaning more thorough explanation of this cleaning
4.1 General method.

When greater degrees of cleanliness are 4.2.5 Pickling

required, either the cleaning process or the For pipe requiring internal cleanliness
acceptance criteria should be outlined in the substantially equal to bare metal, pickling is
purchaser's design specifications. an effective overall method of removing
scale, rust, etc. However, this method limits
In all cases, the method of cleaning and the the configuration of fabricated piping
acceptance standard will be a matter of assemblies to the tank size available and the
agreement between the purchaser and fabricator. ability to get acid flow to internal surfaces.
 PFI Standard ES-5
| Denotes Revision (Reaffirmed November
2020)

This is performed as follows:

4.3 Special Methods – Austenitic Materials All surfaces of all assemblies will be steam
cleaned using spray nozzles and chemical
4.3.1 Degreasing additives such as tri-sodium phosphate with
detergent. Nozzles will be passed along the
Generally stainless steel materials, which have
pipe centerline throughout its entire length to
not been subject to heat for forming or
the maximum extent practical.
bending, require only a degreasing operation.
This may be accomplished by immersion in, or Demineralized water used in preparing the
wiping with, a clean cloth saturated with a chemical solution for steam cleaning as well
suitable solvent, or by steam degreasing as as for rinsing shall have a conductivity of not
described in 4.3.4 below. Water based more than 20.0 Micromhos/cm and a pH
cleaning solutions containing ionic chlorides range between 6.0 and 8.0 or as agreed
should be avoided. between the purchaser and fabricator.
4.3.2 Pickling and Passivating Internal and external surfaces of pipe spools
will then be spray rinsed with cold
For stainless steels, which have been heated demineralized water without chemical
for forming or bending and subsequently given
additives. Rinsing will be done using a spray
a solution heat treatment, or for solution heat-
nozzle to thoroughly flush internal surfaces
treated materials, which exhibit a rusted
of the pipe until complete cleanliness to the
appearance due to some type of contact with
specified acceptance standard is attained.
ferritic materials, the most effective cleaning is After rinsing, spools will be tilted to insure
a pickling and passivation. See ASTM A380 complete drainage and left to "drip-dry".
and A967 for recommended cleaning
solutions. However, this method limits the 5. Acceptance Criteria
configuration of fabricated piping assemblies
to the tank size available and the ability to get 5.1 Visual
acid flow to internal surfaces.
In all cases, assemblies will be visually inspected
4.3.3 Blasting to assure that the required degree of cleanliness
Scale or discoloration produced as a result of has been attained.
heating for bending or solution heat treatment
may also be effectively removed by blasting NOTE: Unless specifically noted as unacceptable
with iron-free silica sand or new aluminum- in a customer's specification, thin films of rust on
oxide grit. (Reclaimed sand or grit usually stainless steels should not be a cause for rejection
contains scale particles, which will result in a provided there is no visible evidence of corrosion
rusted surface on exposure to water and is pitting.
therefore not recommended).
5.2 Testing of Water Rinse
If localized rusting appears after blasting, the
assembly may be passivated by swabbing with For certain nuclear applications, the pipe
a solution of nitric acid at room temperature assembly will be internally rinsed with water until
until the free iron is removed. Follow with a the required acceptance level is attained.
water rinse.
4.3.4 Steam Degreasing and Rinse Acceptance may be based on :
Certain nuclear systems involving high level 1. pH range of effluent.
radioactive service may require not only scale
removal, but removal of contaminants, 2. Conductivity of effluent.
particularly halogens and sulfur, both 3. Particle number and size in filter cloths.
internally and externally.
An effective means of accomplishing this
objective is a combination of steam-detergent
wash followed by a rinse with demineralized
water.