According to a recent study conducted by NACE International, bridges, pipelines, airplanes and just about any building with steel components all face a common and surprisingly costly enemy: rust. As the major international organization that monitors corrosion, NACE wrapped a two-year global study with a comprehensive report totaling the cost of corrosion as roughly equal to 3.4 percent of the global Gross Domestic Product. With figures like that, it makes sense that the leaders of NACE are urging engineers to invest more heavily in corrosion management and that companies like Adapta Color, a leader in protective paints, has put its time and energy into researching new innovations that keep projects rust-free.
Industry Standards for Rustproofing
NACE has been quick to note that the automobile industry invested heavily in rustproofing processes and corrosion research over the last year. Investments that paid off documented 52 percent annual savings compared to the figures from 20 years earlier. Hoping to bring similar results to the world of AEC, Adapta Color has been testing and perfecting its latest powder coating products to help steel structures stay rustproof in multiple environments. For all different kinds of weather and industrial applications, it has the perfect Smart Coating technology in line with the toughest industry standards.
New products were tested in the certified TECNALIA Research & Innovation laboratories, simulating various conditions and looking for protection against specific defects. Adapta color also wanted to ensure that its products stood up to the most rigorous ISO and DIN standardizations for adhesion and suitability. That included meeting even the ISO 20340, which governs protective paint systems used on structures submerged in brackish waters. But, with so many standards and certifications, it can be hard to know which product works to best protect a specific project. Newcomers to Adapta Color Smart Coatings can look toward the important distinctions between rural, urban and coastal buildings set by DIN standards.
Rustproofing for Rural and Urban Areas
In rural areas with low pollution levels — where buildings are mostly exposed to a neutral atmosphere and only need to stand up to typical heating systems — Adapta Color has found that its Interior E & H series and Exterior R & D series do the trick all on their own. For more urban and industrial areas that have atmospheres with moderate levels of sulfur dioxide, Adapta Color’s testing has found the best protection to be its Polyester R or Epoxy-Polyester H line of products.
These two coatings were made with particular attention to the needs of industrial sites, where different processes might produce high levels of humidity. The Polyester powder priming without TGIC can also be applied to aluminum and serves as either a final coat or the first layer of a two-coat protection. Keeping the Polyester coating versatile makes it easier to fit a wide range of applications, projects and preferences, while the Epoxy Primer has the added value of form fitting to sharp edges and angles — a great addition to industrial spaces designed with sharp edges and exposed steel.
Corrosion in Coastal Buildings and Offshore Projects
The biggest challenge for rustproofing buildings comes from projects located on the coast, or even more daunting for many oil and gas projects, as these structures stay partially submerged in ocean water. For buildings located in coastal areas, especially industrial buildings like chemical processing plants, the Adapta Rustproof System powder coating offers category C5-I High Durability protection.
With only two powder coating layers, one an Adapta ROC primer and the second a super-durable Adapta SDS in metallic finish, the engineers at Adapta Color were able to achieve the coveted ISO 20340, making any project ready to go in the water without fear of corrosion. This special Rustproof system not only helps to retain gloss and color when exposed to the elements, it also cuts down on cost and procedures when compared to similar liquid paint systems.
Thanks to its commitment to innovating new products, thinking differently about the environment and working fast to create new solutions, Adapta Color has managed to become a leading European manufacturer by engineering solutions like the Rustproof system. Founded in 1997, this Spanish company has made a name for itself in a short amount of time by following emerging research and helping engineers and designers to meet challenges in unexpected places.