The protection of concrete should begin at the initial stage and meticulous strategies are adopted for protecting the concrete from both internal and external environments. Different coating materials and application methods for steel and concrete substrates have been developed.
Protective coatings have two main functions: protecting the structure by increasing the durability and providing an aesthetic appearance. In order to achieve these functions, coatings should have the following properties:
- Strong adhesion to the surface to be coated
- Resistant to alkalis
- Resistance against water
- Excellent weathering resistance
- Breathability should allow water vapor transmission through the coating to avoid blistering of the coatings.
- Resistance to UV exposure
- Low susceptibility to staining
- Good resistance against the growth of fungi, algae moss etc.
Protective Coatings offered by Corrotech Construction Chemicals
Resin - The resin is the major film forming component of a protective coating. The major purpose of the resin is to wet the pigment particles and bind these particles together to the substrate. Properties include the following:
- Mechanism and time of curing
- Performance in service exposure type
- Performance on substrate type
- Compatibility with other coatings
- Flexibility and toughness
- Exterior weathering
- Adhesion
- Breathability
The usual coating types are generally classified by the primary resin type used in the coating formulation. Usual resins are acrylics, alkyds, and epoxy polymers.
Epoxy, Polyamide - Polyamide epoxies are two component coatings that are catalyzed by a polyamide curing agent to produce resistance to water and salt solutions. However, they do not provide the chemical resistance of the amine epoxy. Polyamides have greater flexibility than the amine epoxies. Polyamide epoxies cure by chemical reaction.
Concrete is a porous material with high gas, vapor and liquid permeability that commonly leads to deterioration of steel and reinforced concrete structures. One of the best ways to protect structures from corrosion is to use protective coatings. Often, the coating is the main option to protect the concrete structures in service. It is necessary to fully understand the mechanism of degradation of coatings materials to enable the design of coatings with required barrier properties.
To know which type of coating is best for your structure, Corrotech Construction Chemicals, construction chemical manufacturer company, can help. Get in touch with them at (+971 4 811 2100 ) or browse their website at https://www.mctuae.com/