In almost any industrial situation, chemical resistant coatings are going to play a large part in ensuring the safety and continued viability of the plant in question. Harsh, corrosive chemicals are used in a number of different ways in order to aid in, for example, the manufacturing process, so it’s important to protect various surfaces that are not necessarily meant to be broken down by the materials in question. Fortunately, there are ways to ensure that that doesn’t happen.
Why Chemical Resistant Coatings Work
Corrosion is a chemical process that affects different metals in different ways. It is generally the result of atoms from various chemicals’ reaction with the metal or plastic in containers, grates, and pipes, changing its composition so that it is no longer forming tight molecular structures. As a result, the metal or plastic becomes brittle and weak. The reactions are different based on the surface and the chemical, but it is always about that reaction happening that leaves your storage tanks and other equipment at risk.
Many metals naturally produce a protective coating of their own. This process, called passivation, varies from metal to metal and is different in alloys, but this is what protects many of them from different chemicals and why some metals don’t seem to react at all. The passive films are incredibly thin and don’t protect perfectly, but they do help a little. We can use that same concept by creating easy to apply coatings that can be painted onto metals, and are designed as polymers that are not chemically reactive to hazardous or corrosive chemicals.
Polymers for Protection
Chemical resistant coatings are often made of polymers, which are large molecules made up of several repeating subunits. In layman’s terms, they don’t give other chemicals a lot of “room” to react with them. While not entirely inert, they are much less likely to be affected by a number of chemicals that would tear metal apart pretty easily.
These polymer coatings, such as ENECON NorCal LLC’s CHEMCLAD XC, can be applied on the surface of metals and plastics that will be coming in contact with dangerous chemicals and, when dried or cured, provides a barrier that will be much harder to get through than the material it’s protecting. Moreover, it is designed to handle a number of different types of corrosive material, including organic and inorganic acids, alkalis, solvents, and salts.
For the best in chemical resistance, ENECON offers a full line of protective coatings and sealants for all types of industrial applications. If you’re working in an industrial field, it’s going to be necessary to address your chemical attack issues, and the chemicals that can break down your equipment. That’s why it’s so important to make sure you’re using high quality chemical resistant coatings. Count on ENECON’s CHEMCLAD SC and XC for your most extreme chemical attack environments.
