In essence, an industrial coating is designed to protect what it is applied to. These substances are highly applicable in an industrial sense as a result of the materials used and the stresses they experience. Generally, industrial coatings are applied to prevent the corrosion of steel and concrete, but there are a host of different examples with different benefits. Here are a few of the most common:
Epoxy
Epoxy coatings are very effective in protecting against a variety of forces, which include large and fine particle abrasion, corrosive fluids, both high and low temperatures, as well as impact, corrosion and multiple more.
Most commonly, epoxy is used to coat materials like aluminium, carbon and galvanized steel, fiberglass, ceramic and copper.
Construction equipment, machine tools, compressors, farm equipment and pipelines are the most common applications for epoxy coatings, due to it’s protective properties lining up with the demand of these industries.
Polyurethane
Polyurethane, PU or poly coating, is one of the most popular industrial coatings. Applicable in almost every industrial market, PU is a thin, high gloss film on metals that provides protection from weathering, resistance to corrosion, abrasion and chemical exposure are also benefits for the smooth, durable protector.
Polyurethane is normally used to topcoat high build epoxy and inorganic zinc.
Fluoropolymer
A blend of resin and lubricants, fluoropolymer is a dry film lubricant that provides a smooth and strong coating. The long list of benefits the material can bring includes corrosion and chemical resistance, but the main draw comes from the ability to reduce friction, resist galling and provide a non-stick finish. Further, important, aspects of fluoropolymer include being non-permeable and resistant to electricity and abrasion.
Fluoropolymer is usually applied to fasteners and manufacturing components.
We all come into contact with industrial coatings every day, whether we are conscious to it or not. There are so many applications and variations that it’s hard to keep up, but we also have a blog post that answers “what are protective coatings?” and will help to further your understanding of these materials in conjunction with the information of this article.
If you’d like to hear more about the protective coatings we offer here at Shirley Industrial Painters, please get in touch. You can call us on 03333 660 408 or fill out our simple contact form.
