Behind every Corrocoat coating system is a significant amount of research, development and testing. From responding to a specific customer requirement to exploring new technologies and improving existing products, our in-house R&D team plays an important role in ensuring Corrocoat continues to meet the demands of challenging industrial environments.
New developments can begin in many different ways. A customer may present a particular performance requirement, new technology or raw materials may become available, or the team may identify an opportunity to improve on an existing solution. Recent projects have ranged from developing a more user-friendly and efficient high-performance tank lining, to exploring coatings for new markets such as cool roofs and improving the flow properties of an existing potable water system.
Testing is a fundamental part of the development process. Depending on the intended application, Corrocoat can evaluate properties including adhesion, abrasion resistance, hardness, chemical resistance, moisture vapour transmission, weathering and performance at temperature.
For coatings intended for particularly demanding environments, testing can be extensive. Cold-wall testing, for example, can simulate immersed service at elevated temperatures, while thermal analysis can help establish a coating’s glass transition temperature and level of polymerisation. Some corrosion and performance testing can continue for up to six months before the team is satisfied that a development is suitable for its intended environment.
Not every R&D project has a straightforward solution. One particularly challenging project involved developing a coating capable of being applied and cured underwater. Recreating realistic underwater application conditions in the laboratory, sourcing suitable raw materials and developing a material that could perform effectively in those conditions all presented significant challenges. The project has involved extensive development, with work continuing to optimise the application method.
R&D also supports Corrocoat customers and partners around the world with unusual applications and service conditions. Wherever possible, the team recreates the service environment in the laboratory. Where this isn’t practical, they can provide technical guidance or prepare test samples for evaluation under actual operating conditions.
One of the more unusual instruments in the Corrocoat laboratory is a Thermesthesiometer – a burn injury measurement instrument designed to simulate the temperature response of a human finger. It allows the team to assess the surface temperature of an insulated coating from the perspective of personnel protection – effectively measuring what someone would experience if they touched a coated hot surface.
