Sherwin-Williams will strengthen its current line-up of protective coatings in order to offer improved corrosion under insulation mitigation performances.
The Protective & Marine division of Sherwin-Williams has recently introduced the Heat-Flex® CUI line, a new range of robust ultra-high-solids epoxy coatings – composed by four new products – that will expand its solutions to mitigate corrosion under insulations (CUI).
Heat-Flex ACE (Advanced CUI Epoxy) is a two-component organic ultra-high-solids epoxy novolac coating developed with a functional chemical enhancement for the mitigation of corrosion, showing exceptional results in a series of CUI simulation tests performed in accordance with ISO TM21442 in excess of 204° C. It also reduces the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and displays temperature, corrosion, chemical and mechanical resistance while providing versatile DFT.
“When we tested Heat-Flex ACE in the lab, we decided to test it vigorously to try to break it and found it was quite unique. Following those promising results, we have confirmed the robust performance as a more dependable and longer lasting organic coating solution. This has led to the product being added to customer specifications,” has stated Mark Rubio, the energy business manager of Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine.
In order to better meet the needs of current CUI-mitigation specifications, Sherwin-Williams also enhanced three existing formulations by adding micaceous iron oxide (MIO) reinforcements. Each coating features a minimum concentration of 25% MIO pigment by weight in the dried film, which helps extend the life of the coatings and reduces risk by addressing typical failure mechanisms experienced while in service and during shipping and construction. As a matter of fact, Heat-Flex 750, Heat-Flex 1200 Plus and Heat-Flex 650 showed excellent results following ISO 12944-9 CX cyclic anticorrosion testing.
“The heavy load of MIO reinforcements in the coatings provides greater durability against impacts, chemicals and corrosion when coated assets are insulated and placed into service. In addition, the MIO provides enhanced UV erosion resistance, which protects the epoxy-based coatings from degrading before insulation is installed on assets,” has also added Rubio.
The new range has passed extensive lab testing, including various heat cycling, simulated CUI, BS EN 927-6:2016 erosion and dry film thickness (DFT) tolerance testing for thermal resistivity, as well as cryogenic testing.
“The battle against CUI is never-ending, as coated steel encapsulated in insulation will inevitably corrode over time. Our goal is to mitigate that corrosion process for as long as possible, and we’ve developed some high-performance coatings that enable just that. For example, Heat-Flex ACE is the best product we’ve tested for long-term CUI mitigation. We anticipate it becoming a preferred specification solution as the industry gains experience with this enhanced CUI-mitigation system. We have also boosted the market’s CUI-mitigation capabilities for existing specifications with the three MIO-enhanced Heat-Flex coatings,” has concluded Rubio.