Photo courtesy of International Paint Ltd.
minum pure epoxy coating, Intergard 787, is applied to erection joints.
they realize that this is the way of the future and they want to
be ready for it.”
Sherwin-Williams continues to add environmentally-friend-
ly products such as SeaGuard HMF heavy metal-free antifoul-
ing hull coatings and Sher-Release silicone foulant release
underwater hull coating system to its portfolio. Both of these
weigh less than copper-based antifouling coatings and help
achieve a smoother hull, which will result in fuel saving and a
reduction in CO2 emissions, according to the company.
“Beyond environmental protection, there’sa savings to customers,” McRae continued. “Using higher solids products
means that they can use less product because these coatings
typically provide better coverage. Using better quality products
extends the life of an asset; they won’t have to perform maintenance quite as often as these coatings tend to last longer.
“Another factor is rapid return to service—turning the job
around faster than ever saves everyone time and money,”
McRai added. “Sherwin-Williams products such as Fast Clad
ER require fewer coats and cure quickly to save material and
labor costs—it can literally cure to walk-on condition in four
hours, and that means a yard can deliver a ship or finish a
tank faster than ever.”
“There’s no doubt that there’s an increased environmental
focus amongst our shipowner and shipyard clients and we
hear the words ‘sustainability’ and ‘corporate social responsi-
bility’ far more frequently,” said Brown. “These issues are
right at the top of company agendas and will drive future
coatings developments. This will include less solvent, less bio-
cides and a smaller range of raw materials for formulating
chemists to work from.”
Many of International Paints’ existing products are already
especially designed to assist its customers’ environmental ini-
tiatives. Interplate Zero for example is a water-based new-
building shop primer which has zero VOC.
