Ten Years’S Service Experience with Light Colored Ballast Tank Coatings

Abstract Light colored ballast tank coatings are the result of the 1990s requirements from the International Association of Classification Societies, IACS and later the International Maritime Organization, IMO, of the United Nations To have more efficient inspection of the condition of the ballast tanks in connection with the increased number of surveys which became necessary due to more demanding rules and regulations. Light colored ballast tank coatings replaced the black or dark brown coal tar epoxy coatings which were generally accepted as being excellent coatings for the corrosion protection of ballast tanks. This perception of the performance of coal tar epoxy coatings caused many interest groups, especially among ship owners, to raise the question: “Will light colored coatings perform to the same level as coal tar epoxy”? Inspection of the ballast tanks of ships in service has convinced the authors that the service behavior of light colored ballast tank coatings is at least as good as that of coal tar epoxy. The inspection results for ballast tank coatings are discussed in this paper. Typical failure causes are shown by examples. Dry film thickness distribution patterns and their characteristics are demonstrated. The inspection results are used in a discussion of IMO’s new Performance Standard, Protective Coatings1 (PSPC).