Corrosion Control
February 2015 www.coatingsworld.com Coatings World | 29
and film density. Finally, they look for superior long-term cor-
rosion protection from various environmental factors such as
chemical, ultraviolet radiation, abrasion and scratch & mar
performance, and seek robust film properties such as excellent
adhesion and chip resistance to various properly prepared sub-
strates. Overall, they want a brand name that they can depend
on and a durable coating.”
According to Wilds, customers are now asking for guaran-
tees up 20-30 years for offshore assets. “Unlike the marine mar-
ket, the offshore asset does not come back to dock every five
years for inspection,” he said. “A fixed-platform of FPSO (float-
ing production, storage and offloading facility) can be offshore
easily for more than 25 years. In the North Sea, for example,
there is a lot of extension of the lifetime of platforms and there-
fore a lot of maintenance painting.”
“In high value infrastructure such as stadiums, airports and
bridges, the focus is also on low-maintenance systems, as they
are constantly in use by the public and are often very hard to
access,” he added. “There is a large focus on aesthetics in this
market so chemistries such polysiloxanes and fluoropolymers
are being utilized.”
Tarve said that Hempel’s customers expect a long-life and
reduced maintenance. “The main reason for having a coating
system is to ensure the equipment or structure can remain
in operation for long as possible, with maintenance only re-
quired during planned stops,” he added. “Many of our anti-
corrosive coatings systems, for windmills and storage tanks
for example, last for 20-30 years with only small repair work
required during the asset’s lifecycle. The goal, however, is to
create coatings that perform for 25+ years before requiring
maintenance. AvantGuard technology is a big step towards
reaching this goal.”
Hempel is focusing on all new technologies that can help
increase the lifetime of the system and/or help customers achieve
additional benefits. “Much of our work is focused on hybrid
technologies, such as using the long UV durability of polisilox-
anes to boost the effect of epoxies. We are also working with the
newest polymer hybrid technologies,” said Tarve.
“A consideration for health, safety and the environment is
also a natural part of our work and we develop products that
meet or exceed both technical specifications and environmen-
tal legislation,” Tarve continued. “We are committed to phasing
out lead, for example. Our decorative assortment is already lead
free worldwide and we are implementing a new lead-free tint-
ing system for industrial and marine products, which will be
introduced in the second quarter of 2015. We will keep invest-
ing in R&D to improve our assortment, taking into account
the environment without compromising the performance of our
coatings. Our success is based on high performance, environ-
mentally friendly and efficient coatings.”
Axalta continues to conduct and sponsor research to expand
the understanding of mechanism and detection of corrosion.
“We focus on accelerated methods that aim to result in excellent
correlation to field performance,” said Priore. “Axalta is focus-
ing on enhanced product service life through improved barrier
coatings as well as next generation anti-corrosion pigment pack-
ages. We are excited about the direction the protective coatings
industry is going with regards to the use of new materials and
additives that have novel chemical, electrical, mechanical, and
thermal properties that impede reaction mechanisms and slow
down corrosion rates.
New Products
A number of Axalta’s powder products are specifically designed
for corrosion protection applications. Nap-Gard fusion-bonded
epoxy (FBE) powder coatings are widely used to help protect
pipeline structures from corrosion. They are formulated to offer enhanced physical and chemical stability, resistance to soil
stress, adhesion to metal, and resistance to abrasion and corrosion mitigation.
Alesta ZeroZinc powder coatings are also designed to pro-
tect against corrosion. “ZeroZinc meets the standards for
corrosion protection of steel structures by paint systems ac-
cording to ISO 12944-6 and also fulfills ISO 12944-6 require-
ments for corrosivity category C5-I,” said Bill Sante, director
of marketing and business development for Axalta’s powder
business. “In combination with an adequate pretreatment, the
primers are designed to provide durable, best-in-class corro-
sion protection under very aggressive atmosphere, high hu-
midity, and extreme climate conditions. Alesta ZeroZinc Steel
Prime is designed to protect ferrous metals from corrosion.
Thermoplastic powder coatings also meet corrosion protec-
tion objectives. Finally, our Abcite line of powder coatings is
formulated for toughness and chip resistance without a primer
undercoat and is designed to provide excellent corrosion and
UV protection on exterior surfaces exposed to tough environ-
mental conditions.”
Among Hempel’s latest offerings is AvantGuard technology
(activated zinc), a new zinc technology that increases zinc acti-
vation to significantly improve the anti-corrosive performance
and mechanical strength of the coating without increasing zinc
content. AvantGuard-enabled products ensure lower long-term
maintenance costs and high application productivity. Hempel
currently produces three AvantGuard-enabled zinc primers:
HEMPADUR AvantGuard 550, HEMPADUR AvantGuard 750
and HEMPADUR AvantGuard 770.
Hempel’s Galvosil (zinc silicate) coatings are heavy-duty
zinc-rich anti-corrosives that provide excellent galvanic protection in moderate to severe corrosive environments. Some of
these are reinforced with the company’s proprietary micro-fiber
technology, which improves crack and impact resistance to reduce long-term maintenance costs.
Some of the key corrosion protection coatings offered by
PPG Industries include the Novaguard Tank Lining Series, two-component, solvent-free, amine-cured novolac phenolic epoxy
coating; apatented, value-added product – PSX 700, a two-component epoxy polysiloxane; AMERLOCK 2, a fast dry, self-priming epoxy and a newly released ONE Series of products
providing industrial level performance in the convenience of a
single can. CW
