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Valerie Sherbondy

Using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) for Evaluating Coating Performance in the Laboratory

Lab Testing /

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) can be a useful tool for differentiating today’s high-performance coating systems.  These advanced coatings with their improved barrier properties perform longer in-service environments that are notoriously challenging. The use of accelerated weathering/corrosion testing in the laboratory to differentiate coating performance is still viable, but can take a year or longer, versus […]

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Exterior Service Finish Coat Performance: A Comparison of Acrylic Polyurethane, Polyester Polyurethane, Polyaspartic, Fluorourethane and Polysiloxane Coatings

1 Comment / Coatings, Lab Testing /

Introduction For decades, traditional aliphatic acrylic polyurethane topcoats were the mainstay as finish coats for exterior environments where resistance to solar radiation (sunlight) was desired to preserve color and gloss and provide corrosion and chemical resistance. However, ultraviolet light degradation of the urethane resin would cause a color shift (fading) and gloss reduction of the

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Measuring the Hardness of Applied Coatings

1 Comment / Coatings, Instruments /

Introduction The hardness of a coating material is a relative property that may be interpreted in a variety of ways by different industries that use coating/lining materials.  While hardness testing is frequently used to assess the degree of cure, they can also be used to measure hardness properties formulated into coatings.  The absolute hardness of

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depressurization

Under Pressure: The Effects of Rapid Depressurization on Coating System Performance

1 Comment / Lab Testing, Pipeline Coatings /

The oil and gas production and distribution industry presents unique challenges associated with protective coatings performance. Recently, a group of environmental activists, armed only with bolt cutters, broke into valve stations across four states and closed the shut-off valves of five cross-border oil pipelines, which can transport as much as 2.8 million barrels of crude

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Pitting Due to Stray Current Corrosion

3 Comments / Coating Failure, Coatings, Corrosion, Pipeline Coatings /

Section loss of pipe wall is of great concern in the pipeline industry. Reduced wall thickness due to pitting corrosion can adversely impact pipeline integrity; the results of which can be catastrophic depending on the product that the pipeline is transporting. In order to reduce the opportunity for corrosion, the use of protective coatings is

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pre-testing coatings

Can Pre-Project Coating Testing Lead to Post-Application Performance?

Coating Standards, Coatings, Lab Testing /

Many agencies and facility owners require coating testing of products and systems prior to their use on a coating project. This is not an original concept; developing a qualified products list (or QPL) is becoming more commonplace, as not all coatings and coating systems are created as equals, even if they are in the same generic

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bridge overview

Improper Selection of a Maintenance Strategy Takes Corrosion Protection from Bad to Worse

Bridges, Coating Assessment, Coating Failure, Lab Testing, Maintenance Painting /

When conducting a coating failure investigation, the investigator’s first inquiries should be “What was supposed to be done,” and “Does it make sense?” The answers to these questions are typically revealed in the specification for the project. However, in this “Case from the F-Files,” there was very little information in the specification to guide the

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The Shop Coating Pipeline that Cracked – FBE Coating

1 Comment / Coating Failure, Coatings, FBE, Lab Testing, Pipeline Coatings /

Gas transmission lines are often specified to be coated in a shop using fusion bonded epoxy (FBE) coating systems.  These coatings are chosen for the resistance to chemicals, the ease of back filling due to the impact resistance, which also translates to less mechanical damage during the transportation and installation of the pipe sections.  One

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multi component coatings

Incorrect Mixing of Multi-Component Coatings

1 Comment / Coating Application, Coating Failure, Coatings, Lab Testing /

Many important industrial coatings are two- or even three-component products (also referred to as two-pack, 2K, or three-pack, 3K) in which a chemical reaction between the components results in a coating film. The components are packaged separately and require mixing at a specific ratio to form the desired final product. The compositions of the materials

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