Corrosion Resistant Coatings — Properties and Uses

¹ Wisconsin Protective Coating Company Green Bay, Wisconsin

The use of organic coatings to control severe corrosion and contamination conditions in industry has grown considerably during the past ten years. Because the resin research chemist has made available to the coating formulators new and improved resins, this progress has been expedited considerably. Application of coatings formulated from the four newer resins discussed in this paper has resulted in considerable savings and has reduced shutdown, due to equipment failure from corrosion, by a large percentage. Structural steel in paper and pulp and chemical plant environments has been completely protected for period of four years and more where formerly repainting was required every six months and replacement about every five years. Coating of steel headers and piping in cooling towers will give satisfactory protection for three to four years where as formerly three to four months was the average life of the protaction afforded by best paints and enamels. The wide range of resistance of the new type catalyzed coatings has made possible the lining of tanks cars to insure freedom from product contamination for a wide range of products including sugar syrups, solvents, alkalies, plasticizers, transformer ois, and various food products. Beer and wine storage tanks, either of steel or concrete can now be coated to prevent all product contamination, and the linings will withstand the various cleaning operations which are normally used in these industries. Such linings can be easily repaired in the field in case of mechanical damage. The simplified application procedures of these new coating materials has extended their uses many fold and has decreased the failure incident. Higher or greater film thickness has enabled the customer to use more accurate inspection methods such as electrical spark testing or electrical continuity testing. The thin film coatings could not be inspected in this manner due to their inability to withstand such fasts. Fexibility has been increased without sacrificing any resistance thus making the coatings more resistant to mechanical damage during cleaning operations or in normal use.

Research and development will continue to produce new resins and coating materials so that the useful range of organic coatings can be further extended.