One of the primary characteristics that facility owners & managers look for in coating products is the ability to withstand the onslaught of the environment, commonly known as corrosion. Resistance against, and control of, corrosion equates to slower material deterioration and increased longevity, extending the useful life of materials.
Anti-corrosion coatings in the market these days address corrosion with varying levels of effectiveness, but often there are certain drawbacks to their abilities to deliver good performance. Most corrosion control products involve the release of high mounts of solvent during coating applications, resulting in non-compliance with EPA regulations. Environmentally-safe materials, on the other hand, are often water-based and fall short in providing the right degree of chemical resistance needed in containers of high-corrosive substances. The same is true with some acrylics-based and ordinary elastomeric painting products, which lack chemical resistance despite being less-expensive, quick-curing, and durable. Other products may offer good chemical resistance, but are not flexible enough for long periods of service. Yet some other products come close with high performance, chemical and other damage resistance, with cost benefits, and yet again fail to completely remove high-VOCs in their formulation.
Many paint manufacturers continue to research and design the ideal elastomeric painting product that can address all these issues and offer the most effective anti-corrosion control at the same time.
The Ideal Anti-Corrosion Coatings
There are a myriad of applications that need high-performing anti-corrosion coatings, such as concrete and steel protective coatings, containments, water-proofing applications, flooring applications, joint-sealing, tank lining or coating, to name just a few. The ideal anti-corrosion coating must be designed with these applications in mind, and address the limitations of current corrosion-control coating products.
The basic characteristic of the ideal coating is that it should have the flexibility of elastomeric painting systems, for applicability to a wide range of requirements. The next desirable characteristic is that it should be solvent-free to lessen the release of harmful VOCs to the environment.
The corrosion-control coating should also be cost-effective and can be either shop- or field-applied. The elastomeric painting product should be effective against chemical, mechanical and natural damages as well.
Needless to say, the ideal anti-corrosion elastomeric painting product should have high performance capabilities that are at par with, or even exceed, current industry standards for corrosion-control coatings.
Widening the Choices in Anti-Corrosion Elastomeric Coatings
Anti-corrosion elastomeric painting products comprising of unique resin composition of reactive polymer components are now out in the market, to widen the choices in corrosion control coating systems. These are blends of multi-functional isocyanate molecules with high-curing and easy-hardening properties, ideal for in-service painting and lining applications. These elastomeric painting products are also made of innovative polymer cross-linkages, resulting in high adhesion capabilities, with remarkable flexibility when subjected to a wide range of temperatures. The molecular structure upholds its physical and chemical properties over time, impervious to chemical, mechanical and natural damages.
These anti-corrosion coatings are very well suited for protective elastomeric painting of concrete and steel structures. Chemical storage tanks also benefit from the unique combination of chemical abrasion-resistance and durability.
The goal to eliminate VOCs in necessary solvents used in elastomeric painting continues. Alternative materials to altogether remove the need for harmful solvents are continually researched, although the factor of cost often besieges the quest for VOC-lowering alternative resources. Despite that, paint manufacturers persist in their efforts to lower, if not completely eliminate VOC-carrying components in elastomeric painting formulation.
