How Stopaq Insulwrap Helps Fight Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI)

Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI) is one of the costliest and most frustrating challenges faced across oil & gas, pipeline, refining, chemical, power, and industrial facilities. It’s not dramatic, and it’s not always visible — but it is relentless. Once moisture finds its way into an insulation system, the corrosion process begins quietly and continues unnoticed until it becomes a serious mechanical-integrity issue.

Industry reports estimate that CUI accounts for billions of dollars in damage every year. Repairs, replacement, downtime, and safety implications make it a problem no asset owner can afford to ignore.

That’s why the choice of vapor barrier and over-insulation materials is such a critical component of any insulation system design or rehabilitation project. And it’s exactly where Stopaq Insulwrap has proven its value.

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Why CUI Happens — and Why Better Barriers Matter

Most insulation failures start with one simple problem: moisture intrusion.

Moisture enters an insulation system through:

• Damaged cladding

• Poorly sealed joints

• Mechanical abuse

• Weathering

• Thermal cycling and expansion

• Improperly sealed fittings and transitions

Once water gets in, insulation becomes saturated, steel temperatures fluctuate, and corrosion accelerates. Traditional vapor barriers often fail at overlaps, transitions, or irregular shapes — the exact places where water loves to find a way in.

To fight CUI, the system must stay sealed, dry, and flexible over time.

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Where Stopaq Insulwrap Makes the Difference

Stopaq Insulwrap is a self-bonding, self-sealing insulation wrap designed specifically to keep moisture out of the insulation system. Built on Stopaq’s long-proven polyisobutylene sealant technology, Insulwrap forms a continuous, flexible vapor barrier around piping, tanks, ducts, and vessels.

Here’s what sets it apart:

1. A True Vapor Barrier — Not Just a Wrap

The aluminum/polyester laminate combined with a fully adhesive sealant layer creates a zero-pathway barrier. Moisture can’t migrate through the material or through the overlaps.

2. Self-Bonding & Self-Healing

The polyisobutylene sealant adheres aggressively to its own backing and to insulation surfaces. Even minor mechanical damage can re-seal, preventing the slow moisture ingress that leads to CUI over time.

3. Outstanding Conformability

Irregular shapes—valves, elbows, fittings, supports, transitions—are usually the weak points. Insulwrap is flexible enough to conform tightly around complex geometries, eliminating gaps and voids.

4. Long-Term Flexibility

Unlike many traditional wraps that harden, crack, or delaminate over time, Insulwrap stays flexible throughout its service life. That means no opening of seams as the system thermally cycles.

5. Available in Flame-Retardant Formulations

Insulwrap-FR adds fire retardancy for environments where elevated safety standards or regulations apply.

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The Result: A Drier System, Longer Asset Life, and Stronger CUI Defense

CUI isn’t solved by one layer of material — it’s solved by a system designed to stay dry. Insulwrap plays a key role in that system by ensuring that moisture never reaches the insulation in the first place.

When used as part of a full insulation and cladding design, Insulwrap helps:

• Maintain insulation performance

• Protect steel surfaces from corrosion

• Reduce long-term maintenance costs

• Extend asset life

• Improve overall plant reliability

For facilities aiming to reduce unplanned shutdowns and deliver predictable asset-integrity performance, choosing better vapor-barrier materials is one of the smartest long-term investments.

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Supporting CUI Prevention at Every Step

At Joint Specialists, we’ve seen firsthand how proactive choices in insulation materials dramatically change long-term results. Whether it’s a new installation, a CUI remediation project, or an insulation system rebuild, Stopaq Insulwrap offers a simple, effective, and durable barrier against one of the industry’s biggest ongoing challenges.

If you’d like help evaluating Insulwrap, Stopaq systems, or overall insulation-system design considerations, we’re always here to support your team.