Photo courtesy of EonCoat LLC.
On the job with A&K Painting
When Andy Robbins, CEO of A&K Painting, a Charlotte, N.C.-based industrial
and commercial paint contractor that
does work in five states, first heard about
the new EonCoat ceramic coating at a
conference, the concept intrigued him.
"The environmental guidelines of the
last decade are rapidly becoming stan-dards," said Robbins. "Since environmental codes are tightening for new
builds, remodels and existing facilities,
reducing or eliminating VOCs in paint
has been a growing concern for us and
our customers."
Robbins stayed in touch with the ceramic coatings’ developer, Wilson, N.C.-based EonCoat LLC, ultimately visiting
the plant, participating in testing and
providing R&D feedback.
"For industrial and commercial customers looking to limit VOCs and HAPs
to meet stricter regulations, EonCoat is a
proactive way to do so," said Robbins.
"There are no fumes. Contractors could
literally spray within 10 feet of someone
working in an occupied space with no
concern for odor or getting residue on
carpet, computers or office furniture."
Since a true ceramic shell covers the
corrosion barrier, EonCoat resists water,
fire, abrasion, chemicals, corrosion and
temperatures up to 1,250° F. It protects
test, viewable to the public by webcam.
Coated samples were scribed, then exposed
to 12 hours of sea spray, followed by 12
hours of sunlight (or the UV light equivalent). After 45 days, every other high performance coating tested failed. Except for
the rust on its scribe (gouge) line, the EonCoat sample looked the same as day one.
To monitor another ongoing corrosion
test modeled on NASA’s sea spray test, the
public can view, zoom and control a live
webcam at www.eoncoat.com. In the latest test, which has passed 120 days and includes brand names matched to numbers,
20 Q panels coated with a popular primer,
topcoat or EonCoat are sprayed daily
with corrosive seawater.
against high-pressure power washing
and steam cleaning able to withstand
water pressure of 4,500 psi/310 bar and
steam at over 380° F/193° C.
EonCoat also has a flame spread rating of zero, which means that flame can
be directly exposed to its coated surface
and it will not catch fire unless enough
heat is generated to make the substrate
behind the coating self-ignite and the ceramic coating does not release any
fumes when exposed to fire.
"The anti-fire, anti-water, anti-abra-sion and anti-corrosion benefits of the
new protective ceramic coating make it a
promising product to use for a host of
applications from extending the service
life of tanks, machinery, steam pipes and
cement floors to serving as a slimmer,
less costly alternative to existing bulky
firewalls," said Robbins.
The ceramic coating typically costs
less than the high-temperature paints or
specialized epoxies it replaces, and paint
contractor labor can also be cut in half.
The ceramic coating has an ability to
bond directly to most substrates and because it dries within seconds of exiting
the spray nozzle, high build coatings in
one coat are possible.
Another plus for facility managers is
how the protective ceramic coating can be
applied on hot or cold surfaces from 35° F
to 200° F, which makes it suitable for all-weather indoor, outdoor application.
“There’s nothing like seeing results
with your own eyes,” said Collins of the
ongoing corrosion tests displayed by webcam. “The product has gone more than
10,000 hours with no corrosion in a salt
spray ASTM B117 test, but we believe that
engineers, facility managers, and industrial
contractors will see value in comparing its
effectiveness with leading brands. CBPCs
like EonCoat are a new approach to corrosion protection that should be looked
into as aging plants, equipment and infrastructure need to be safely maintained as
long as possible.” CW
Del Williams is a technical writer based in
Torrance, Calif.
Because the ceramic coating can
readily blend with dozens of additives, it
can be used to create custom textured
finishes like high-end stucco, sand plaster, and even spray-applied "tile". Since
the coating is unaffected by UV, it resists
fading when exposed to sunlight.
For extra safety in facility or commercial settings, adding granite to the ceramic coating can also make for durable
non-skid flooring. "Unlike multi-colored
latex coating systems on the market,
EonCoat can mix with special materials
to give color and texture to high traffic
areas that must withstand abuse such as
corridors, entry ways, or accent walls in
offices, healthcare and childcare facili-ties," said Robbins.
Andy Robbins, CEO of A&K Painting, spraying EonCoat VOC-free ceramic coating providing an abrasion, corrosion, high
temperature and chemical resistant finish
in a single coat with no primer.
