Surface Care

Corrosion is an electrochemical reaction, whereby oxygen and water cause iron to rust or copper to turn green. Corrosion causes enormous economic damage – no less than approximately 4 percent of the Gross National Product. Parts that are affected by corrosion must be treated or replaced. For transport pipes this can quickly run up to a few hundred thousand euros. Corrosion also holds enormous risks. A pipe under pressure can give way in an eroded weak place or sheet piling can break up.

The solution for corrosion consists of removing one or more of the 3 required components – water, oxygen or the electrochemical reaction. Traditional coatings for metals, such as bitumen, polyethylene (PE) systems, polypropylene (PP) systems, and epoxy powder coating (FBE) or epoxies, cannot prevent water and / or oxygen from reaching the metal. Therefore for instance, transport pipes use cathodic protection to stop the electrochemical reaction, whereby an electric current stops the ionization of the iron. This requires energy and constant monitoring of the protection. That is why rust and corrosion prevention require an effective surface preparation method.