Protective Coating

Protective coatings are a simple way to reduce corrosion, by limiting the exposure of the metal to a corrosive environment. In addition, there are also four types of protective coatings for metal: barrier, inhibitive, sacrificial, and combination. Barrier coatings protect metal by preventing water, oxygen, and electrolyte from coming in contact with the underlying metal. Inhibitive coatings contain chemicals that hinder corrosion.

Corrosion poses a threat to all infrastructure through the degradation of structures such as buildings, roads, bridges, pipelines, and towers, and the economic impact of corrosion represents an annual cost of billions of dollars to the economy. It is important that owners and operators of high-value assets understand the cost implications of ignoring the effects of corrosion. There are many advantages of planning for corrosion control and mitigation. Two of the main ones are that the life of an asset is extended, making it more profitable; and the asset’s maintenance time and costs are reduced, which enables its increased utilization.