Non-Slip Surface Coating with Thermal Spray Method

New 28E ARCTEC Durable Non-Slip Surface Coating Metal substrates, metal decks and metal panels are used in numerous structures, ranging from oil platforms to overhead walkway steps. If no additional treatment is applied to these substrates—particularly when wet—they can become extremely slippery and in many cases may suffer corrosion damage. In slip-resistant applications of this type, resistance to severe industrial conditions and the ability to move safely are indispensable requirements for workplace safety and overall productivity. Now, a new solution is available that can meet all these expectations.

Current Applications

The protection of steel surfaces against corrosion has traditionally been achieved either through hot-dip galvanizing or painting. Surfaces resulting from galvanizing can be slippery and before paint application for coloring, require additional surface preparation or primer. For floor applications, painting is generally applied, with the desired slip resistance achieved by adding grid-like particles into the paint or onto painted surfaces. However, such applications rapidly wear and corrode, and as a result of this wear, glossy smooth areas develop where slip risks emerge. Today, many large steel structures such as oil platforms, bridges and refineries located in extremely aggressive environments are protected against corrosion using the thermal spray method with aluminum (TSA), zinc or specific mixtures of both materials.

Why Is It Not Sufficiently Effective?

Although considerably more durable than paint systems, aluminum, zinc or their mixtures applied by thermal spray method, while providing successful protection in highly aggressive corrosive conditions, may not provide sufficiently long-term wear resistance on floors.

What Should Be Done?

Normally, special coating with the following properties should be applied to surfaces expected to be resistant to both wear and corrosion: • The coating must provide grip capable of preventing both personal and industrial slip. • It must be able to provide anti-corrosive protection equal to or better than aluminum applied by thermal spray method, which offers the best known anti-corrosive performance. • It must comply with international standards and be easy to apply. Our new 28E ARCTEC Thermal Spray Coating meets all these expectations. Metallisation company developed 28E ARCTEC to fulfill all the requirements mentioned above. The coating is applied by thermal spray method, wear-resistant, extremely hard and offers perfect slip-resistance with a rough surface texture. After coating, the surface is corrosion-resistant and long-lasting, eliminating rust and slip problems for years.

Brief Information: What is Thermal Spray?

Thermal spray is the process of applying pure or alloy metals as coating onto many different base materials. The applied metals are melted pure metal particles, not metal particles contained in paint. The molten particles are atomized and sprayed onto the surface to be coated, which has been previously roughened by grit blasting, creating a coating. The molten metal striking and freezing on the roughened surface hardens as it freezes and adheres tightly to the rough structure. As can be understood from this, the rough surface plays the main role in the quality and strength of adhesion. In some applications, the coating must be sealed with an additional coating similar to varnish or paint (typically a thin epoxy coat is preferred). Otherwise, coatings with a porous structure will oxidize depending on the applied metal. In some cases these oxidations provide a decorative effect and therefore the applied metal is not sealed. However, for anti-corrosive applications, the applied metal coating must be sealed. The spray technique applied also determines the roughness of the coating. For example, if the slip-resistant 28E ARCTEC product applied by thermal spray method is applied very rough, the resulting coating will be more suitable for forklift traffic and similar. Metallisation company manufactures not only 28E ARCTEC material but also equipment capable of performing all types of thermal spray applications, and will be pleased to provide necessary advice for different applications. Metin Olcaytu Sales Director Cemre Corrosion Control Industrial Trade Ltd. Co. # MAKALE# Analiz# Termal# Spray# Yöntemiyle