When a facility in California needed an innovative solution for protecting their valuable assets, they chose Tnemec’s fluid-applied, thermal insulating coating system for pipes, valves, tanks and structural steel applications.
“Initially, the coating system was applied to exterior sections of pipe with a surface temperature of 120 degrees F,” explained Andy Hoffman, Product Manager – Insulation and Specialty Products. “A few months later, it was used again on a storage tank and connected piping.”
The tank stored a mixture of water, crude and chemicals, according to Dustin Kaatz of TPC Consultants, Inc. “A coating system was needed for thermal insulation on the tank and for safe-touch on the piping,” Kaatz noted.
The pipes and tank were powertool cleaned and primed with Series 1224 Epoxoline WB, a water-based epoxy coating that offers excellent adhesion over marginally prepared steel. “The primer can go onto surfaces with temperatures up to 200 degrees F,” according to Hoffman.
Series 971 Aerolon Acrylic, a thermal insulating coating with aerogel particles, was spray-applied over the primer at 50 mils dry film thickness (DFT). Aerolon’s water-based formulation conforms with California’s regulatory requirements for low volatile organic compound (VOC) coatings.
“Aerolon Acrylic achieves a higher, single-coat film build, resulting in shorter application times for a quicker return-to-service and lower labor costs,” Hoffman observed. “The coating contractor liked the product’s film build compared to other insulative coatings that require three or four coats to achieve the same thickness.”
The projects were completed with a finish coat of Series 1028 Enduratone, a water-based High Dispersion Pure (HDP) acrylic polymer, which was spray-applied at 2.0-3.0 mils DFT. The low-VOC coating provides excellent long-term protection, is mildew resistant, and exhibits very good gloss and color stability.
“The nice thing about this coating system is that all three products are waterbased,” Hoffman added. “Today, Aerolon Acrylic has been added to the facility’s specification for future projects, including storage tanks where heat loss and temperature stability are issues.”