Chemical Resistant Coatings

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Most people have a basic understanding of what chemical resistance implies. In the context of chemically resistant coatings it may mean a paint system that is applied to a surface to protect from attack by an aggressive substance. Or it may be a decorative floor coating which must retain its characteristics under various degrees of chemical exposure

Air drying one component coatings do not generally provide good protection against chemical attack. In the main these types rely on evaporation of water or solvent to leave a resin film and produce poorly chemical resistant coatings. An exception to these are one component polyurethanes which react with air borne moisture and so could be considered as a two component system.

Two component reactive systems offer greater chemical resistant coatings. Epoxy, polyurethane, methacrylate, and vinyl esters resins are commonly recognised and these contain various binder groups relying on a process of cross-linking or knitting together of molecular strands to form their structure. The degree and density of the cross-linking within a group determines in part the hardness and chemical resistance of that group. However within the binder groups of, say, epoxy resins a variety of characteristics occur further affecting chemical resistance.

So what are the factors affecting performance and which systems perform best?

The ability of a chemical resistant coating to protect against a corrosive medium depends on;

• the nature of the medium (type)
• the concentration of the medium.
• its temperature.
• the degree of exposure (fully or partially immersed, occasional contact).
• length of time of exposure.

A given resin type may be totally resistant to a concentrated chemical at a low temperature but may disintegrate when exposed to a more dilute concentration of the same chemical at a higher temperature.
Therefore all factors must be considered when selecting a chemical resistant coating.

Generally the following resin types offer resistance against various chemicals.
Epoxy resins: commonly used to produce durable floor coatings and screeds they have resistance to aqueous acids and alkalis, fats, oils, general fuels, lubricants, salt and sugar solutions. They are susceptible at higher temperatures.
Polyurethane resins: commonly used to produce durable floor coatings and screeds they have resistance to organic acids and alkalis, fuel and hydraulic oils, and aromatic and aliphatic solvents. They also have greater resistance than epoxy resins at elevated temperatures and in screed form to allow steam cleaning.
Vinyl Esters: used mainly for bund and tank lining offering excellent chemical resistance for almost all chemicals. They do require specialist expertise in application.
Methacrylates: used as durable coatings offering good resistance to aqueous solution but can be poor against solvents of all types. Can be modified for use where cold conditions prevail.

To select the correct chemical resistant coating for your particular circumstances call:
ARCON TECHNICAL SERVICES 01925 852225

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