Everything You Need to Know About Industrial Coatings

Industrial coatings are specialized paints used to protect various surfaces from corrosion and wear and tear.

What are Industrial Coatings?

An industrial coating is a type of specialized paint. These coatings are protective paints with a multi-step application process that includes priming, coating and sealing the surface.

Industrial coatings are everywhere and are typically used to protect different surfaces and products from wear and tear. This wear and tear include things such as corrosion, decay and rust. They can also be used for aesthetic appearance.

The Use of Industrial Coatings

There are many uses of industrial coatings. The most common use of these coatings is to protect surfaces, items and equipment from corrosion. Commonly coated materials are steel and concrete.

Other types of industrial coatings are used to make surfaces resistant to fire. Industrial coating services often use different types of polymers to make equipment last longer by making it resistant to rust and other corrosive processes and chemicals. It is important to note that these coatings are not one coat, instead, it is an entire systematic process.

Different Types of Industrial Coatings

In recent years, the Excalibur coating process is one of the most popular, although there are many types of industrial coatings. The Excalibur process actually melds into the steel, becoming a part of the surface. This type of industrial paint is extremely tough and non-stick.

Other types of coatings commonly used by industrial painting contractors include:

Epoxy

Epoxy coatings contain a curing agent that is mixed with epoxy polymers. They are commonly used by many industrial coating services for their ability to bond to many different surfaces.

These coatings can be mixed in various ways to create a large variety of uses and characteristics that will be applicable in many different environments.

In addition, these coatings are extremely resistant to heat, abrasives and weathering.

They are typically applied using either a two- or three-step process – first, a primer is used, then the coating is applied, after a topcoat is used to seal everything in.

Polyurethane

Polyurethane coatings also have a wide variety of uses and are often used as the sealant in the final step of application. They have an appealing high-gloss, shiny finish.

These coatings are also extremely durable and withstand a lot of wear and tear. Polyurethane coatings are great in wet environments, but are susceptible to fading when exposed to the sun.

They are best used inside, away from UV rays.

Acrylic

Acrylic coatings are extremely quick-drying. They also feature the same high-gloss finish as polyurethane coatings. In addition, they often are made with fewer ingredients, which can increase its resistance to corrosion.

Alkyd

Alkyd coatings are great for a variety of environments and are known as a workhorse coating. They are effective inside, outside, underground and even underwater. They can be adjusted to fit the needs of different conditions. 

The downside to alkyd coatings is that they have longer dry times than other types of coatings. The curing process can be sped up using heat.

Zinc-Rich

Zinc is often added to high-performance coatings to make them resistant to rust,  corrosion and abrasion. Zinc-rich coatings are typically either epoxy or polyurethane based. 

This coating type is best used on steel. When used on steel, zinc-rich coatings act as both a polymeric barrier and a galvanic one.

In Summary

Industrial coatings are everywhere and are extremely important. They are used to protect surfaces from corrosion and other wear and tear.