Galvanizing presents many challenges to painting operations. While the zinc coating can add substantial life to steel surfaces, its surface chemistry and electrochemical activity can result in conditions leading to adhesion failures of applied organic coatings. The key to successful painting lies in recognizing the many surface conditions presented by new and weathered galvanizing and …
Specification writers, contractors, and coating manufacturers, at one time or another, have been blamed when installed coatings fail to meet service life expectations. However, rarely does the wrath of Mother Nature receive the blame for premature coating failure. In this Cases from the F-Files, an interior roof coating system reportedly failed because of localized impact …
The Case of the Mysterious Hailstones [Premature Coating Failure] Read More »
Fracking (hydraulic fracturing) has marked a new era of natural gas exploration. Through this technique, huge deposits of oil shale like the Marcellus and Utica, which extend from the Appalachians into Canada, are now producing enough gas to meet North America’s needs for the next 14 years. This boom in gas exploration has opened up …
Meeting Demands of Gas Exploration: The Evolution of Pipeline Coatings Read More »
At its very basic level, saponification is the term given to the process in which vegetable oils and animal fats are converted into soap. We recognize soaps as wax-like products, modified through the addition of fragrances and skin-care additives (emollients) to become consumer cleaning and bathing products. The essential step in the soap-making process is …