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THE CHALLENGE:
Aging production equipment needed recoating to safeguard its condition and to
prolong its life.
The equipment was located well offshore with limited support infrastructure. A
coating system was required which would apply and perform well under the
typically adverse Offshore conditions.
THE SOLUTION:
TFT Kevlar® reinforced BIO-DUR 561SW epoxy coating was chosen for
this project. This product is specifically designed for wet surface and
underwater application to steel in either salt or fresh water.
BIO-DUR 561SW is a 1/1 volume mix product, this is the ideal mix ratio
from a practical point of view since minor mixing errors in mixing have the
minimum effect on performance. The components were supplied in contrasting
colors of White epoxy base and Black curing agent to yield a uniform gray
mixture.
The majority of applications were made with a heated, 1/1 ratio plural component
applicator. This equipment preheated the individual components then
proportioned and pumped them through separate hoses to a static mixer about 50'
distant from the mixing equipment. Once mixed the product was pumped to a
pressure pad applicator used by a diver to spread the product on prepared
steel.
The steel surfaces were prepared for coating by high pressure water blasting,
intact existing coating adjacent to damaged or corroding areas were simply high
pressure water blasted prior to application of the BIO-DUR 561SW.
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Work started during the end of the hot summer season and
continued into the much colder winter. As water temperatures plunged the
BIO-DUR 561SW began to increase in viscosity. Thin Film Technology
laboratories responded by formulating a lower viscosity "Winter" quality to
allow applications well into the cold weather conditions.
THE RESULT:
Application by pressure pad was effective and yielded an excellent, tightly
adherent film. The BIO-DUR 561SW products cured well overnight and have
formed a tough, tightly adherent protective coating over the structure. The
freshly applied coating was resistant to removal by wave action from the moment
of application and suffered no damage before curing hard.
For more information regarding this project contact:
Jeff Longmore, Technical Director
Thin Film Technology, Inc.
P.O. Box 580669
Houston TX 77258-0669
(713) 910-6200
FAX: (713) 910-6210
E-mail: jeff@thinfilmtech.net
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