Corrosion

Corrosion is defined as "the chemical or electrochemical reaction between a metal and its environment resulting in the loss of the material and its properties."

When rust forms on an iron or steel structure, metal is lost from the surface, reducing cross section and strength. Rust is also unsightly and can cause contamination of the environment and industrial products. It is further detrimental in that it is not a stable base for coatings

Preparation

Preparation is absolutely the most important process to control corrosion. Sandblasting is by far the best way to create a profile to allow our special coatings to adhere to steel or other substrates.

Corrosion Control, Specialty Coatings

Protective coatings and other systems that interfere with one or more of these components can be used to control corrosion. Protective coatings provide such interference by three basic mechanisms:

• Barrier Protection - Most coating films form a barrier to isolate the metal surface from electrolytes in the environment
• Chemical Inhibition - Chemical components added to the coating may inhibit the anodic or cathodic reactions.
• Calvanic ( Cathodic) Protection - A primer heavily loaded with zinc particles may provide galvanic protection to steel surfaces, much like a zinc anode does to steel surfaces.