When one of the country’s largest paper and packaging companies needed a coating system for several concrete tanks at a new recycling plant in Shreveport, LA, an advanced generation, 100 percent solids lining from Tnemec was pressed into service. “This was all new construction,” according to Tnemec coating consultant Brandon Lomasney. “They needed something that had good abrasion resistance, something that could handle water temperatures of 125 degrees F, and that could achieve the required mil thickness in a single coat to keep labor costs down.”
Series FC22 Epoxoline, a modified polyamine epoxy, was selected for its excellent abrasion and high temperature resistance, and high-build properties. “When the paper arrives at the mill, it goes into these tanks where it is cleaned and beaten into a wet mixture used to form sheets of paper,” Lomasney explained. “During this process, staples and paper clips are removed, resulting in a high level of abrasion inside the tanks. Water temperatures in these tanks reach 125 degrees F.”
Following a surface preparation of SSPC-SP13/NACE No. 6 Surface Preparation of Concrete, it was then abrasive blasted to remove laitance, form release agents, curing compounds, sealers, and other contaminants, and provide a surface profile in accordance with ICRI CSP-5. Voids, bugholes, and other cavities were filled with Series 218 MortarClad, a modified epoxy cementitious resurfacer, applied at 1/16-inch dry film thickness (DFT). The project required more than 900 gallons of Series FC22, along with 500 large kits of Series 218.
As a 100 percent recycle mill, the facility will process up to 430,000 tons of paper and corrugated material every year that would otherwise go to a landfill. The mill represents a $150 million investment in the Shreveport-Bossier City community. Based in Conyers, Georgia, Pratt Industries is America’s seventh largest paper and packaging company with annual sales approaching $1 billion.