Marine & Subsea

There are numerous paint/coating systems based on epoxy resin available for corrosion and fouling prevention. They however are not completely satisfactory in field applications, where high corrosion, fouling and flame resistance are required. The demand for epoxy resin as corrosion/fouling resistant coatings is restricted mainly due to its inferior characteristics like poor impact strength, high rigidity, and moisture absorbing nature besides inadequate flame retardant properties. It is for this reason that silicones and phosphorus-based compounds are used as modifier in this work by an inter crosslinking network mechanism (ICN) to obtain epoxy resin with desired properties ideally suitable in field applications for preventing corrosion and fouling with flame retardancy.

Coatings used on petrochemical manufacturing facilities, oil-drilling platforms and above-water marine applications generally face exposure to corrosive environments from water and/or harsh chemicals, as well as intense radiation exposure from sunlight. Standard coatings last approximately 7 years for topside (above-water applications), and 3 years for applications that have continuous exposure to water (splash zone). Coating failure can be attributed to either cracking due to temperature variations and exposure to water, abrasion, pinholes during drying, or delamination of the film due to over application or high film build.

Fire and smoke is a major concern when it comes to selecting materials for marine & aerospace applications. Requirements for passive fire protection are generally much stricter compared to most other applications, including aerospace. IMO (International Maritime Organization) have established the Code of Safety for High Speed Craft (HSC Code) where all ships in international traffic have to comply with. All areas in a vessel are divided into “Fire Restricting Material” and “Fire Resisting Division” which has a functional approach to the use of composite materials.

M Matrix technology enables weight optimized fire resistant constructions that comply with IMO HSC regulations to be realized.

Frontier Protection Worldwide’s new silicone compounds are add on-curing materials, which do not require a moisture curing process. The replacement of the Si-OC bond with a Si-CCC bond increases the coatings ability to withstand attack from harsh chemicals such as sulphuric, phosphoric, and hydrochloric acids and ammonium hydroxide. In addition to chemical resistance, the more hydrolysis-resistant version increases the UV resistance of the coating, a standard requirement for protection of substrates in industrial and marine applications.