New Advances in Epoxy Protective Coatings

Abstract Epoxy coatings are a mainstay of the protective and marine coatings markets. Used as intermediate coats over inorganic and organic zinc rich primers, or used as direct-to-metal primers in coating systems, epoxy coatings are widely recognized for their versatility and the excellent corrosion resistance they provide. One drawback to current epoxy coating technology is that it requires separate packaging for the epoxy resins and the amide or amine hardeners because the chemical reaction between these materials causing the applied film to cure to a dry state would also cause the bulk material to gel if packaged together (pot life). Until now, single-pack epoxy coatings have been based on epoxy-ester resins, which are not as robust as true amine-cured epoxy coatings, or have been based on epoxy resins and latent hardeners, which require a bake cure and therefore are not practical for most protective and marine coating applications. This paper will review the features and benefits of a new epoxy coating technology that allows for true epoxy-amine curing in a single-pack product. Performance versus traditional two-component epoxy products will be compared, and environmental and convenience benefits of single-pack versus two-component packaging will be discussed.