PPG Industries’ protective and marine
coatings (PMC) business received The
Society of Protective Coatings (SSPC)
2015 Military Coatings Project Award
of Excellence for the performance of
AMERCOAT 235 primer, PSX 700SG
polysiloxane topcoat and ABC 3 anti-fouling topcoat on the USS Dwight D.
Eisenhower, a 102,000-ton aircraft carrier that was refurbished in Norfolk,
Virginia, last year.
The award is given annually by SSPC
to recognize exceptional coatings work
performed on U.S. military ships, structures or facilities.
Launched in 1975 and commissioned in 1977, the USS Eisenhower was
stripped, recoated and returned to service
during a 10-month project that began
in November 2013. After removing the
existing coating, general contractor and
coatings applicator General Dynamics
NASSCO-Earl Industries applied a two-coat epoxy-polysiloxane paint system
consisting of Amercoat 235 primer and
PSX 700SG coating to the freeboard
and island surfaces of the vessel. The underwater hull, which totaled more than
200,000 square feet of surface area, was
treated with Amercoat 235 primer and
ABC 3 coating, a self-polishing, high-performance anti-fouling agent.
PPG and the general contractor
also were recognized by SSPC for their
ability to work through complications
caused by bad weather and the scope
of work required to return the USS
Eisenhower to service.
After the ship was docked, the
Norfolk area experienced an abnormally
cold winter with several snowstorms and
freezing temperatures, which impeded the
contractor’s ability to prepare the surface
area of the ship and apply the coatings.
Also, significant structural repairs, up-
grades and system modernizations took
precedence over the preservation work
being completed on the hull and island.
Integrating the restoration activities with
tradespeople’s work on
other parts of the ship
created challenges that
forced PPG and the con-
tractor to accelerate the schedule without
sacrificing quality and safety standards.
PSX 700SG coating, which was
specified to replace the original sili-
cone-alkyd-based coating on the USS
Eisenhower, offers unlimited recoatabil-
ity for easy touch-up and maintenance in
a color-stable LSA (low solar-absorbing),
low-VOC (volatile organic compound)
formulation, according to the company.
The coating is isocyanate-free and com-
bines superior abrasion resistance with
wide cure-temperature flexibility and
unique surface tension to minimize rust
and dirt streaking.
Amercoat 235 multi-purpose epoxy
coating provides exceptional corrosion
protection when immersed in freshwater,
saltwater and other corrosive environ-
ments. In addition to being surface-tol-
erant, self-priming and fast-to-recoat,
Amercoat 235 coating reduces the cost of
surface preparation by curing at tempera-
tures as low as 0 F and by adhering to
tight rust and damp surfaces.
With its tin-free formulation, ABC
3 anti-fouling coating by PPG features
a binder formulation for controlled
ablation rates and a smoothing action
to help reduce drag. It is suitable for a
wide range of operating environments
and capable of maintaining its anti-
fouling characteristics for up to 60
months. CW
PPG’s Protective and Marine Coatings
Business Receives Award from SSPC
PPG Industries’ protective
and marine coatings business
received The Society of Protective Coatings 2015 Military
Coatings Project Award for
Excellence for the performance
of several of its marine coating
products on the USS Dwight D.
Eisenhower aircraft carrier.
