Corrosion Protection n. 1 - January 2023

Cathodic protection of reinforced concrete structures

page 14

The preservation of historical structures with the MCI® technology of Cortec Corporation

page 20

Decarbonising the hydropower industry with protective coatings and repair composites

page 42

©

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01 FROM THE EDITOR

02 WHAT'S NEW

04 SCIENCE OUTLOOK

The Italian water supply network: from extraordinary maintenance to corrosion prevention

10 THE BREAKDOWN

How to minimise and repair concrete cracks on a coated floor system

14 SCIENCE OUTLOOK

Cathodic protection of reinforced concrete structures

20 COVER STORY

The preservation of historical structures with the MCI® technology of Cortec Corporation

24 THE BREAKDOWN

A new self-test method to detect CrVI in coatings

28 COVER STORY

Metal powder coating expert LEPOXI relies on Interpon’s Redox technology

32 SUCCESS STORY

Value engineering with MCI®-2019 for concrete maintenance and repair

36 ROAD TO 2050

Reducing the corrosion of steel is vital to combating climate change

38 ADVANCEMENTS

State-of-the-Art Adapta Rustproof System® VS. ISO 12944:2018 CX

42 ROAD TO 2050

Decarbonising the hydropower industry with protective coatings and repair composites

46 SPOTLIGHT

Gruppo IspAC, the quality guarantee of the coating inspection

WELCOME TO THE INDUSTRY’S LEADING TRADE SHOW

NUREMBERG // GERMANY

European Coatings Show: 28– 30 March 2023

European Coatings Show Conference: 27–28 March 2023

ECS 2023 – innovative, modern and safe!

Accompanied by Europe’s largest and most important industry conference

 Plan your visit online: european-coatings-show.com/shownavigator

Organisation: NürnbergMesse european-coatings-show.com

Organiser: Vincentz Network european-coatings.com

Welcome Corrosion Protection!

After a one-year long design and conception process, the new ipcm®branded technical-scientifical magazine dedicated to corrosion prediction, prevention, protection, and mitigation has finally seen the light.

The many ones of you who received the last issue of ipcm®_Protecting Coatings – the predecessor of Corrosion Protection – a couple of weeks ago, already know what’s going on. For our new readers, here is a short introduction to this new editorial project.

The new Corrosion Protection offers increasingly selected content, encompassing the entire world of corrosion protection in terms of products, processes, technologies, and services; in-depth technical insights; a new publication schedule; a global distribution in key markets around the world; a completely revamped, more dynamic layout design.

The new Corrosion Protection offers increasingly selected content, encompassing the entire world of corrosion protection in terms of products, processes, technologies, and services with a completely revamped and more dynamic layout design. It provides in-depth technical insights by internationally recognised lecturers and industry experts according to a new publication schedule designed to facilitate its distribution in key sectors and key markets around the world with both a digital and a printed circulation.

A new publication schedule and a new editorial calendar

In every issue of the magazine you can find highly technical and scientific issues dedicated to corrosion protection and surface treatment within the heavy-duty industry. Three out of four issue also feature a special focus on some specific industries. These issues are distributed at specific trade fairs and events, relating to the focus, of which Corrosion Protection is media partner with its own booth or

press corner. The January issue focuses on corrosion protection for infrastructures (bridges, highways, railways, tunnels, pipelines, water networks). An issue focused on the energy industry and one on the marine industry will follow in April and July. Each section of the magazine is thought to present a specific kind of content, may it be a report from a fair, a success story, a product news or an in-depth analysis. In particular, Science Outlook is the section in which you can find the articles written by lecturers and professors; Cover Story is the one in which you can find the articles covered and written by us.

A new coverpage

More visibility for our customers and better visual representation of the focus of the magazine: these were the two principles at the basis of the redesign of the cover page, which is now a Z folded cover page. While we will use the front coverpage to better express the target and focus of each issue and highlight its content, companies that wish to promote their brand and products will be able to exploit the double page of the Z folded coverpage.

This said, what you have in your hands right now is a rebranded and renewed magazine to describe the challenges that the corrosion protection industry faces every day in terms of products, processes, technologies, and services.

I leave you to the pleasure of discovering the new elegant graphic layout in the next pages and to enjoy reading the curated, valuable and engaging content of this issue.

Fire protection and anti-corrosion products from CIN certified to last for more than 25 years

The Portuguese manufacturer of coatings CIN, specialised in corrosion and passive fire protection, has obtained a certification for its systems for corrosive environment C3. The high durability of the intumescent coatings for steel structures developed by CIN, which last over twenty-five years, is in fact certified under conditions specified in ISO 12944-6:2017 by an accredited external laboratory. “The brand works daily for innovation in the sector and, to do this, it is fundamental that we understand the difficulties and needs of the market. CIN detected the need to certify the durability and safety of its intumescent system, combining both corrosion protection and passive fire protection for metal structures, based on the main standards in force, two fundamental axes to ensure their stability,” has stated Jorge Paiva, the product manager of CIN Performance Coatings. There are several engineering and architectural works whose performances and aesthetics result from an exposed steel structure. In the case of fire, the unprotected steel structure of these buildings might reach in a few minutes the critical temperature that causes loss of stability and consequent collapse. The newly certified passive fire protection coatings manufactured by CIN ensure the maximum resistance of metallic structures against high temperatures and corrosion as well:

C-POX® PRIMER ZP230 FD is a polyamide epoxy primer pigmented with zinc phosphate that provides high-performance corrosion protection of metallic structures in industrial or building site applications. Applied in a single coat, it provides highly durable corrosion protection for corrosivity category C4 according to European standard ISO 12944.

C-THERM® S100 is an intumescent acrylic coating for passive cellulosic fire protection of metal structures for interior and exterior use. Formulated to expand when exposed to high temperatures, it produces foam with very low thermal conductivity, which gives it excellent insulating properties for up to 120 minutes.

C-THANE® S350 is a polyurethane enamel with excellent outdoor performance. It is recommended for corrosion protection of metal structures in aggressive environments and it is certified as a finish in painting systems certified according to parts 5 and 6 of the European standard ISO 12944. With excellent weathering resistance, proven in QUV-A accelerated ageing tests, it demonstrates perfect colour and gloss retention when exposed to cycles of UVA radiation and condensation, even after 6000 hours of testing.

www.cin.com

HMG Paints provided Simply Coatings with a UNIT Tinting scheme to speed up the distribution of protective coatings

HMG Paints Ltd. has recently announced that it has strengthen its partnership with Simply Coatings by providing a UNIT Tinting scheme to the Barton Le Clay site of the company. The cooperation will allow Simply Coatings to quickly distribute the protective solutions of HMG Paints in the Bedfordshire region.

The UNIT Tinting scheme allows Simply Coatings to mix a vast array of colours – including BS, RAL and Agricultural –and offer faster turnarounds for customers. Furthermore, it enables the company to mix, match and tint larger volumes of HMG Paints products, such as 1K and 2K topcoats, undercoats and primers, as well as a variety of sheen levels.

“The installation of the UNIT Tinting machine takes the offering from Simply Coatings to a whole new level and will allow their customers faster turnaround across a wide range of HMG products. The Simply Coatings team has built a great business and the installation of the new HMG Mixing schemes shows their commitment to the customers on providing exactly the right product, in the right colour when they require it,” has commented Roger Blinco, the Key Account Manager HMG.

Simply Coatings is an independent family business specialised in the distribution of paint and protective coatings, offering a wide range of products and full support from the moment customers get in touch until long after they have received their order.

“We are delighted to be working with some of the best in the industry here at Simply Coatings and for our new investment it was an obvious choice to partner the Corob equipment with HMG Paints as we continue to grow the business in 2023 and beyond,” has declared Darren Hardiman, the managing director of Simply Coatings.

www.hmgpaint.com

Ankush enterprise will distribute the award-winning corrosion inhibitors of Hexigone in India

Hexigone has announced a partnership with Ankush Enterprise, one of the largest importers of specialty chemicals in India, to distribute its product and promote the Intelli-ion®AX1 range in the local paint and coating sector. Ankush Enterprise has 25 years of experience in providing multiple verticals with technical solutions and a deep knowledge about the Indian market, which counts over 3,000 paint manufacturers. “India – a leading economy and fast-developing country is a key geographical region for our future growth strategy. When adding 1% Intelli-ion® AX1 as a specialty ingredient within primer systems, coatings manufacturers can save 5-10% on their anti-corrosives per kg of paint. Additionally, the co-blend will offer performance improvements to protect metal assets for longer,” has stated Patrick Dodds, the CEO and founder of Hexigone. The Intelli-ion®AX1 corrosion inhibitor of Hexigone protects in a smart way, as its micro-reservoirs enable the coatings to react

Hempel received the B rating from CDP for good environmental management

Hempel has received the B rating from CDP in its annual environmental disclosure and scoring process, regarded as the gold standard for corporate environmental transparency. Based on the data reported in the 2022 Climate Change questionnaire, Hempel has been recognised for addressing the environmental impacts of its business and ensuring good environmental management. Through its targets validated by the Science-Based Targets initiative, Hempel is committed to reducing carbon emissions from its own operations by 90% by 2026, in order to help keep global warming to 1.5 °C and respond to the increasing demand for environmental transparency from financial institutions, customers and policymakers. In addition to tackling its Scope 1 and 2 emissions, the company has also further committed to reducing its Scope 3 emissions from across its entire value chain by 50% by 2030. “We are pleased to receive a B rating from CDP in the first year of our participation in its extensive questionnaire. We are on a journey, guided by our Futureproof framework, and having our efforts validated externally is integral to making further progress towards becoming a sustainability leader within our industry. It is not a nice to have, but a need to have and we will continue to invest in actions towards achieving our ambitious goals,” has declared Michael Hansen, the president and CEO of Hempel A/S. In addition to disclosing through CDP, the company is further taking action on its goals and climate ambitions: last year, it linked € 1.5 billion credit facilities to sustainability targets and participated at the COP27 summit in Egypt.

www.hempel.com

faster to the environment, triggering the release of the inhibitor on demand. The company is already supplying coatings companies worldwide and has received the Corrosion Innovation of the Year award of Materials Performance in 2021 and The British Coatings Federation ‘Sustainable Innovation’ award in 2022.

“We are thrilled to add Hexigone’s patented technology to our product portfolio. We pride ourselves in keeping abreast of the most innovative, new technologies and are confident our customers – old and new – will soon be testing with Intelli-ion® to reap the sustainability, cost, and performance benefits. We would like to announce to the Indian Paint and Coatings market that we are here to address your corrosion protection needs,” has also commented Nilesh Parekh, the founder of Ankush Enterprise.

www.hexigone.com

Sika is opening a new plant for liquid membranes and mortar production in Chongqing, a city in southwestern China with 30 million inhabitants. By commissioning the new plant, Sika is expanding its position in this rapidly growing metropolitan area, which is set to become even more important as China is creating the Chengdu-Chongqing business district with almost 100 million inhabitants. The Chinese construction sector is forecast to grow by an average of 4.5% annually over the next 3 years. As part of its current five-year plan, China’s government is focusing on expanding transport and energy infrastructures and is investing CHF 8 trillion in technology and infrastructure projects in the coming years. In addition, the automotive, finance, and logistics sectors are well represented in the Chengdu-Chongqing region, and the construction industry benefits from these operations and companies’ efforts to achieve more sustainable production. With its new state-of-the-art plant in this region, Sika will be well-positioned to meet rising demand from the construction industry for highquality, sustainable products, and will greatly expand its production capacity. The investment underscores Sika’s commitment to be close to the customer and offer the best solutions on a local basis. “This new plant reinforces our market position in the important Chengdu-Chongqing business district, which is a core area in China. The result will be a mega-agglomeration that will expand the domestic economy and will generate enormous business potential for Sika. We will strengthen our position in this booming market and continue to target above-average growth,” has stated Mike Campion, the regional manager of Asia/Pacific.

www.sika.com

During summer 2022, anyone leafing through a newspaper or listening to the news heard about the water crisis happening in Italy. Sadly, such an “emergency” has been occurring for several years now, so much so that it is actually a chronic problem, which is only getting worse year after year also due to climate change.

The ISTAT report of 22 March 2021 [1] on the situation of the Italian water supply network stated that “Water losses in the distribution network are steadily increasing”. In 2018, around 8.2 billion cubic metres were fed into the grid to meet the consumption level, compared with the 4.7 billion cubic metres that were actually dispensed for authorised uses. The total water loss rate of the national drinking water distribution network is 42.0%: for every 100 litres fed into the system, as many as 42 are not delivered to end users. Due to the poor condition of the water infrastructure, 3.4 billion cubic metres are lost, i.e. 156 litres per day per person. Assuming a daily per capita consumption of 215 litres (national figure), such losses could meet the water needs of about 44 million people in one year. In approximately one in two provinces/ metropolitan cities, the distribution network is subjected to a total water loss that is even higher than the national figure. Territorial and infrastructural differences in this context reflect the longstanding North-South divide, with the most critical situations concentrated in the central and southern areas (data collected by Energy & Strategy [2], Table 1).

Water losses are related to several factors, including as follows:

 obsolescence of pipelines, of which 36% are between 31 and 50 years old and 24% are over 50 years old;

 little investment in water networks, sometimes compounded by high maintenance and rehabilitation costs;

 physiological errors: construction defects, wrong choice of materials, and wrong behaviours, e.g. unauthorised connections.

The consequences are clear: the repair works required dramatically increase, resulting in a decrease in the funds available for more rational safety measures and for the development of the network itself, thus sometimes contributing to cause real emergencies, as in the case of the drought crises experienced in the last few summers. Therefore, there is the need to generate a virtuous circle in which investing in innovation is not only mandatory, but also worthwhile. Unfortunately, not all causes of leakage can be controlled – but there is certainly enormous potential for efficiency gains both in the management of the existing network and in more careful design focussing on durability.

According to the data collected by Politecnico di Milano’s Energy & Strategy [2], carbon steel pipes account for 32% of the Italian pipeline network for the transport and distribution of water.

Carbon steel is a material that, once buried, is naturally subject to spontaneous phenomena of corrosion, which play a primary role in the ageing and loss of integrity of the buried pipelines. Corrosion is also linked to the lack of infrastructure safety (breakage or damage to third parties), the loss of the transported resource, the possible alteration of water quality, the increase in operating costs (repairs, more pumping), and the decrease in the infrastructure’s service life, resulting in the lack of profitability of the investment.

With the exception of a few virtuous cases, the fight against water network deterioration, especially corrosion-related deterioration, is currently almost always based on finding existing leaks and repairing them, whereas it should actually be based on prevention, i.e. preventing a leak from forming at all. However, this is not sufficient to address the issue in the medium to long term. Even if hundreds of kilometres of underground lines were to be replaced with new steel pipelines, as provided for by the NRRP1 funding measures, particular corrosion phenomena due to galvanic couplings and differential aeration could still jeopardise the integrity of those newer infrastructures protected by the highestperformance coatings.

The management of infrastructure integrity therefore requires an actual change of mentality, a paradigm shift. The current approach, which merely provides incentives to those who detect and quickly repair a leak (as much as this is necessary to guarantee service continuity) should be abandoned in favour of a new one focussing on prevention, i.e. aimed at preventing most losses from occurring a priori. The Italian water network constitutes an enormous infrastructure capital with a total length of around 300,000 km. Those who are responsible for ensuring its integrity should therefore act with foresight and go beyond the repair of existing leaks in the short term, overcoming a short-sightedness that is often dictated by false preconceptions, such as the idea that water leaks cannot pose a danger to people and property.

The water crisis is an emergency that has become a constant both in Europe and beyond. However, by paying more attention to the prevention of leakage due to corrosion, it would be possible to solve this long-standing problem at least partially. This article presents an analysis of the situation of the water supply network in Italy and some possible solutions for increasing its efficiency.

This does not mean setting aside the issue of network maintenance and control, but rather also adopting technologies that can prevent the onset of corrosion, the main cause of degradation of steel pipes. There are different well-established technologies for protecting underground structures (pipes, tanks, etc.): these are not futuristic experiments, but tried and tested techniques that have been widely used for several years now, for example, in the gas transport and distribution sector. Among the tools available to operators, cathodic protection [3], along with other protection technologies such as coatings, plays a key role in corrosion prevention, helping preserve the network and ensure service continuity, especially if already foreseen at the design stage of new infrastructure or during adaptation of existing infrastructure. Cathodic protection cannot repair what has already been compromised, it is not applicable to plastic pipes, and it is difficult to use on cast iron pipes. However, it proves crucial in the prevention of damage to new steel pipes that are installed to replace obsolete structures.

The management of infrastructure integrity requires a change of mentality.

The current approach, which merely provides incentives to those who detect and quickly repair a leak should be abandoned in favour of a new one focussing on prevention, i.e. aimed at preventing most losses from occurring a priori.

This electrochemical corrosion prevention technology can be applied to metallic materials immersed in water or buried in the ground and to concrete reinforcements. It is carried out by circulating a direct current between an electrode (called the anode) placed in the environment and the surface of the structure to be protected (called the cathode): the current lowers the potential of the metallic material and reduces its corrosion rate down to zero. The way in which current is circulated defines two different techniques: galvanic (or sacrificial) and impressed current cathodic protection. The former is based on galvanic coupling with a less noble metal; for example, aluminium and zinc are used to protect steel in seawater, magnesium in soil and fresh water. The latter uses a direct current generator, the positive pole of which is connected to an earth electrode consisting of generally insoluble anodes (e.g. high silicon cast iron or activated titanium), while the negative pole is connected to the structure to be protected. The management of cathodic protection of an underground structure and the verification of its proper functioning are described in the reference standard ISO 15589-1 [4]. With regard to monitoring, simple field measurements enable to check the protection level. It is also possible to manage monitoring with integrated remote control tools, in order to guarantee prompt

intervention when the measured values do not fall within the limits imposed by the standard. Creating measuring points equipped with an electrical connection to the pipeline and fitted with reference electrodes or potential probes allows for constant verification of the structures’ polarisation levels, as well as enabling, through continuous measurements, the detection of any dispersed currents in the ground capable of generating non-stationary interference due to possible interaction with electrically driven transport systems (railways, underground railways, or tramways). Proper management of the cathodic protection system prevents corrosion from causing punctures in the pipes, thus preventing carbon steel structures from corroding. As already mentioned, this technique has been widely used on the gas transport and distribution infrastructure for several years now. Although considering its complexities and peculiarities, the water sector can be compared to the gas one, which in turn can be regarded as a virtuous reference model due to its evolution in terms of regulations. In particular, cathodic protection was made mandatory for underground metal gas distribution systems in 2008 with the Italian Ministerial Decrees of 16/04/2008 [5] and 17/04/2008 [6], respectively relating to the distribution and transport of gas.

The correct application and effectiveness of the cathodic protection systems used in gas networks are checked annually by the Italian Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks, and Environment (ARERA), which is also responsible for verifying the quality of service in the water transport and distribution sector, for which regulations on the application of cathodic protection do not exist, yet.

In the light of what has been examined so far both on the regulatory and technical front, it can be stated that cathodic protection is a corrosion prevention and control technique with a high degree of reliability and that planning the laying of a new carbon steel underground pipeline without providing for a dedicated cathodic protection system is a serious mistake in terms of management and protection of the structure’s integrity. This is the reason why it becomes important that each party involved plays its role: the Government and Parliament should take charge of issuing appropriate laws; ARERA should support investment through an incentive system, while at the same time supervising the service quality level; companies should invest in adapting their infrastructures to existing technologies and in the technical training of their staff; and the associations should be responsible for representation and support. In fact, various associations, including AMPP Italy Chapter (Association for Materials Protection and Performance – Italian section) and APCE (Association for Protection from Electrolytic Corrosion) have

made themselves available as a point of reference for several years now, thanks to their staff’s expertise and to the experience gained in the field of gas network protection and with the firm commitment to spreading the culture of safeguarding the integrity of infrastructures.

Bibliography

[1] Le statistiche dell’ISTAT sull’acqua (anni 2018-20), Istituto Nazionale di Statistica, 2021.

[2]Water Management Report: Le applicazioni e il potenziale mercato, Energy Strategy, Politecnico di Milano, 2019.

[3] L. Lazzari, P. Pedeferri, M. Ormellese, Protezione catodica, Polipress, Milan, 2006.

[4] ISO 15589-1 Petroleum, petrochemical, and natural gas industries – Cathodic protection of pipeline systems – Part 1: Onland pipelines, 2018.

[5] Italian Ministerial Decree of 16/04/2008 – Technical regulation for the design, construction, testing, operation, and supervision of distribution structures and systems and direct lines for natural gas with a density not exceeding 0.8.

[6] Italian Ministerial Decree of 17/04/2008 – Technical regulation for the design, construction, testing, operation, and supervision of structures and facilities for the transport of natural gas with a density not exceeding 0.8.

It can be stated that cathodic protection is a corrosion prevention and control technique with a high degree of reliability and that planning the laying of a new carbon steel underground pipeline without providing for a dedicated cathodic protection system is a serious mistake in terms of management and protection of the structure’s integrity.

THE BREAKDOWN

How to minimise and repair concrete cracks on a coated floor system

Concrete in important assets and infrastructure is usually subjected to crack, mostly because of shrinkage or the structural movement of a building due to stress. It is then important to minimise cracking as much as possible and repairing them with the appropriate vinyl ester and epoxy fillers and sealants.

Sooner or later, it is inevitable that all concrete will begin to crack. That is just the nature of the beast—or, in this case, the substrate. The question every facility owner or maintenance manager should ask is not “if” but “why,” “when,” and “how.” By taking this approach, you will begin to understand what causes concrete to crack, how to minimise cracking as much as possible and recommended methods for repairing cracks that form on concrete floors.

What causes concrete to crack?

As a starting point, it is essential to understand the various factors that can cause concrete to develop cracks in the first place. The two main causes of cracking are: concrete shrinkage and structural movement of a building due to stress.

When concrete is poured, it contains a mixture of water, cement and gravel. As concrete cures, it has a natural tendency to shrink, which can lead to cracks developing. If not immediately, these cracks will eventually show at the surface. A crack that results from concrete shrinkage is generally referred to as a “static” – or fixed, non-moving –crack.

On the other hand, concrete can form cracks due to stress-related structural movement. This typically results in a “dynamic” crack, which means that the crack will naturally expand and contract with temperature, humidity and load stress changes.

Surface preparation requirements for cracked concrete

When dealing with cracked concrete, the surface preparation requirements will greatly depend on the type of coating system that is being installed. First and foremost, it is crucial to follow any specific requirements outlined in the coating manufacturer’s product data sheet for the given coating system. This will serve as your primary information source.

Above this, the Concrete Surface Profile (CSP) guidelines have become an industry standard for coating manufacturers. They are used to determine the surface preparation requirements for various concrete texture profiles. To date, a total of ten levels of increasingly more aggressive profiles have been developed by the International Concrete Repair Institute. As a general rule of thumb, the thicker the specified coating system or overlay, the deeper the profile needed to anchor it, equating to a higher CSP coupon number.

How to minimise and repair concrete cracks

1. Place joints in the concrete

Placing joints along various pressure points in a concrete slab will go a long way in helping to minimise concrete cracks in your coated flooring system. There are two main types of joints that are

important to understand: control joints and expansion joints. A control joint is meant to control cracking by weakening the concrete at these joints to minimise shrinkage cracks and “control” where they will appear. In contrast, an expansion joint is designed to withstand structural movement by allowing for thermal expansion and contraction within concrete. Placed prior to pouring the concrete slab, an expansion joint involves the complete structural separation between two or more building components. This joint typically ranges from ¼” to 1” (0.6 to 2.5 cm) in width but can run up to 20” wide (51 cm). With a control joint, on the other hand, several grooved joints are saw cut at ¼ the total thickness of a concrete slab as soon as 18 hours after it is placed. For example, a 4-inch-thick (10 cm) slab would require a control joint one inch in depth. Although there are many key differences between these two types of joints, they both ultimately serve as ways to minimise uncontrolled, random cracking to protect your concrete floors.

When dealing with cracked concrete, the surface preparation requirements will greatly depend on the type of coating system.

THE BREAKDOWN

2. Use a backer rod and a flexible sealant

When repairing a static crack or control joint, the standard protocol is to fill the full thickness of the crack with an epoxy putty, grind it until it is smooth, then place your highperformance coating system over the top.

On the other hand, dynamic cracks are more complex and require special attention. Treating them properly will require the use of a backer rod and flexible sealant. The backer rod – a soft and pliable filler designed to partially fill dynamic cracks or joints – is inserted as a barrier to control sealant depth and prevent three-sided adhesion.

Most larger expansion joints must then be filled with a flexible sealant to allow for dynamic structural movement. To achieve optimal elongation, the depth of the sealant should be half the width of the joint. This is critical to maintaining the elongation properties of the flexible sealant.

Additionally, the diameter of the backer rod must match the width of the expansion joint or dynamic crack. If the backer rod is too large, the flexible sealant will protrude as the concrete expands and contracts. On the flip side, if your backer rod is too small, it will be impossible to maintain the proper depth-to-width ratio.

3. Honour any transitions in the concrete floor

Whenever a flooring system is terminated, that transition will need to be keyed into the concrete with a saw cut to give the coating system an anchor point. Drains, doorways, and other transitions also fall into this category. If the transition is not keyed, the coating edges will inevitably become chipped and damaged over time.

If left untreated, this can lead to a much larger failure of the surrounding coating system.

A backer rod and flexible sealant will need to be used when treating dynamic concrete cracking. However, before they can be placed, the coated edges must first be routed and tucked down into the joint to protect them from foot or vehicle traffic. Generally, this involves removing a strip of the coating from the floor approximately six inches (15 cm) in width – or three inches (7.5 cm) on each side of the joint. Once the backer rod is placed, it is critical that the joints are not filled flush with the flexible sealant, as this would forfeit its optimal elongation properties. Instead, the sealant should be tooled concave at a depth half the width of the joint—leaving a smooth, continuous surface. This allows for thermal expansion and contraction.

Selecting the right product for cracked concrete repair

Depending on the floor topping or coating at hand, a variety of vinyl ester and epoxy fillers can be used to repair static cracks and control joints. General-purpose polysulfide sealants are very popular for dynamic cracks involving structural movement. In the case of a secondary containment area where higher chemical resistance is needed for a concrete floor with expansion joints, the chosen sealant should be compatible with the specific chemical exposures at play. For example, a Viton sealant is recommended for expansion joints within containment areas exposed to high sulfuric acid levels. This is because, if a spill occurs, other polysulfide or silicone caulks would be eroded.

www.dudick.com and www.carboline.com

The most important industry events at your fingertips myFAIR is a free web app that can be accessed from both desktop and mobile devices, which allows you to stay up-to-date with the leading events of the surface treatment sector.

SCIENCE OUTLOOK

Cathodic protection of reinforced concrete structures

Increasing corrosion induced damages caused new outlook to achieve durability and stability for reinforced concrete structures especially in corrosive areas. Corrosion assessment, lifetime estimation, and corrosion protection of concrete structures are very important issues in these areas. For instance, the Italian engineer, Riccardo Morandi, who designed the Genoa Bridge that collapsed and killed dozens warned four decades ago that it would require constant maintenance to remove rust given the effects of corrosion from sea air and pollution on the concrete [1].

In fact, corrosion of embedded steel in concrete is one of the main deterioration phenomena affecting the durability of reinforced concrete structures. When chlorides reach the steel surfaces inside concrete, active corrosion leads to the formation of expansive corrosion products, resulting in cracks of the concrete cover. It takes only a small amount of corrosion metal loss at the rebar surface to create corrosion products sufficient to generate internal stresses that crack the concrete (Fig. 1). Moreover, rehabilitation with conventional repair methods, the chemical makeup of

the new concrete differs from that of the original concrete. Therefore the steel in the surrounding areas of the patch is still relatively more active than the steel within the patch. The combination of having the same piece of reinforcement within the patch and outside the patch forms a corrosion cell (Anode Ring Effect or Halo Effect). Figure 2 illustrates a schematic about this phenomenon which shows why a conventional repair method fails to provide a long-term solution and can contribute to the overall problem. According to the Federal High Way Administration report, cathodic protection (CP) is the only rehabilitation technique that has been proven to stop corrosion in salt-contaminated concrete structures regardless of the chloride content of the concrete [4]. By Applying CP, the corrosion potential is shifted to the region of immunity zone and corrosion is stopped from a practical point of view. CP requires only the removal of spalled and delaminated concrete while sound but contaminated concrete may be left in place. So, it shows significant capital cost saving compared with the extensive removal of chloride contaminated concrete and conventional repair approach.

The application of CP to a reinforced concrete structure transforms the environment around the steel reinforcement over a period of time and produces positive effects in the concrete area. As it is shown in Figure 3, inside cathodic protected concrete, the current is transported by ions proportionally to their concentration and mobility. Positive ions move in the same direction of the current, i.e. from the anode to the cathode, the negative ones in the opposite direction. Thus, in chloride contaminated concrete, the current circulation produces a flux of chlorides from the cathodic to the anodic sites. In the usual electrolytes, the consequences of this electrophoretic migration are minimized by diffusive and convective phenomena. In these cases, current circulation results in a reduction of the chloride content on the rebar surface which is known as “chloride extraction effect” (Figure 3a). Additionally, at the surface of rebar (cathodic sites), oxygen and water are consumed and hydroxyl ions are generated according to the following equation:

IT TAKES ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF CORROSION METAL LOSS AT THE REBAR SURFACE TO CREATE CORROSION PRODUCTS SUFFICIENT TO GENERATE INTERNAL STRESSES THAT CRACK THE CONCRETE.

The hydroxyl ions restore the pH at the metal surface, inducing passivity of the metal. This alkalinity has the ability to push the pH back up to around 12 and is called as “re-alkalization effect” (Figure 3b). Therefore, in existing reinforced structures, affected by chlorides, CP must be an integral part of the rehabilitation concept and is aimed to decrease the corrosion rate of the steel reinforcement from significant to negligible values. New structures within aggressive environments can be provided with a CP system using a small amount of direct current that is applied early in its service life. This type of protection is called “cathodic prevention” and can be used for new reinforced concrete structures, or existing structures in which the corrosion process is not yet initiated but corrosion will most probably occur due to progressive ingress of aggressive electrolytes over time. For new constructions cathodic prevention can be applied in an easy and simple way as the current demand will be relatively low and therefore will be a low cost solution to achieve the design life span of the structure [5]. There are two forms of CP: impressed current (ICCP) and sacrificial anode or galvanic (SACP). When properly designed, installed, and commissioned, both systems have been proven to control corrosion by providing an electrical current to an affected region. The impressed current system (ICCP) uses a permanent, external power source but “galvanic” or “sacrificial anode” CP (SACP) is supplied by the use of dissimilar metals coupled together in a common environment to create electrical energy similar to that of a battery cell.

One of the main benefits of SACP is that it requires very little maintenance or adjustments once installed. Anode connections can be buried in concrete, preventing accidental or deliberate breaks in cables. The absence of rectifiers prevents system damage due to lightning strikes and vandalism. The system is immune to power outages or failures. Because of the relatively low driving voltages (difference between the anode and steel potentials) of sacrificial systems, overprotection, which may lead to hydrogen embrittlement and stress corrosion cracking of prestressed steel, is not as serious a concern as with the ICCP systems. Short circuits are also not a problem as galvanic action occurs uniformly across the anode surface, as opposed to ICCP systems that can be short-circuited by such embedment as high rebars, chair feet, or other foreign steel debris. Simplicity of design and maintenance is therefore seen as a major advantage of SACP systems.

In a SACP system, current output self-adjusts, depending on the corrosion rate of the reinforcing steel, so that it is functioning on demand and therefore does not overprotect [5]. SACP also has its limitations. Main operational limitation is that the resistance between the anode and the steel fixes current flow. The system, in effect, is operating at a constant and unchanged applied voltage. An additional limitation is that after a sufficient time, enough of the anode is consumed so that the protective current can no longer be supplied and corrosion of the steel reinforcement can begin again.

Consumption of the sacrificial anode occurs because of a desired galvanic effect, and an undesired self-corrosion effect. The ability to supply protective current relative to the loss occurring as a result of self-corrosion is termed the “efficiency” of the galvanic anode. Galvanic anodes are sometimes chemically enhanced to provide either higher efficiencies or higher current outputs when necessary [5].

The anodes life span for SACP system is determined by several factors which may alter over time. The relationship between the anodic current for anode consumption and the corrosion rate expressed as loss of mass in time and can be obtained from Faraday’s first law. As an example, for 1 Amp passing for one year around 11.2 Kg of zinc anode will be sacrificed. So, the necessary weight of the anode material, which includes efficiency and utilization factors, is calculated using this law according to the following equation:

W = (ARC * CR * L) / (E * U)

where ARC is the average required current, CR is the consumption rate of the anode, L is the designed lifetime, E is efficiency and U is the utilization factor of the used anode.

By considering “cathodic protection of steel in concrete” standards [6, 7], the most common criterion to performance assessment of CP system applied on reinforced concrete structure is measurement of potential decay from “Instant OFF” potential. This potential shift should be at least 100 mV over a maximum 24 hours or at least 150 mV over an extended period of time. A typical potential decay (depolarization) graph is shown in Figure 4. So, in order to determine the performance of the cathodic protection of concrete structures, a monitoring system shall be incorporated. Monitoring of SACP system can be done using different methods. According to the standard [6], the cathodic protection system performance shall be determined by measuring the steel/concrete potential, using reference electrodes. Coupons and macro-cells are optional additional monitoring sensors and instrumentation is principally required to measure direct current and voltages. Monitoring instrumentation may comprise manual devices,

IN EXISTING REINFORCED STRUCTURES, AFFECTED BY CHLORIDES, CP MUST BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE REHABILITATION CONCEPT AND IS AIMED TO DECREASE THE CORROSION RATE OF THE STEEL REINFORCEMENT FROM SIGNIFICANT TO NEGLIGIBLE VALUES.

portable data loggers or permanently installed data loggers. Use of a permanent online monitoring system would have not only have provided continuous access to the data but also identified problems immediately, instead of months later after the data was acquired and analysed. For most of the important reinforced concrete structures, inspections are typically performed according to a set schedule which can range from several months to years unless an incident occurs which would require special inspection. Between site visits, there are countless undocumented events that can affect the overall structural welfare. Without some means of monitoring, damage to structures can go unnoticed for extended periods of time, possibly compounding the magnitude before the situation is addressed.

Conclusion

In this article importance of corrosion assessment among reinforced concrete structures was described. Using cathodic protection and cathodic prevention to increase durability of these structures were reviewed. Additionally, protection criteria and effectiveness monitoring of the applied system have been studied. The review showed the cathodic protection and prevention can be chosen as one the most effective approaches to reach long-time durability of reinforced concrete structures.

References

[1] Morandi, R. (1979). The long term behaviour of viaducts subjected to heavy traffic and situated in an aggressive environment: the viaduct on the Polcevera in Genoa. IABSE reports of the working commissions, 32.

[2] https://www.kwch.com/2021/08/26/report-evidenceextensivecorrosion-collapsed-condo/

[3] Bertolini, L., Elsener, B., Pedeferri, P., Redaelli, E., & Polder, R. B. (2013). Corrosion of steel in concrete: prevention, diagnosis, repair. John Wiley & Sons.

[4] Scheffy, C. F. (1981). Bridge deck deterioration - A 1981 perspective. FHWA Memorandum, Federal Highway Administration Office of Research.

[5] Pedeferri, P. (1996). Cathodic protection and cathodic prevention. Construction and building materials, 10(5), 391-402.

[6] Item No. 24224, (2005). Sacrificial cathodic protection of reinforced concrete elements. Houston, TX: NACE International.

[7] ISO, B. (2016). 12696 -2016. Cathodic protection of steel in concrete.

[8] SP0216 (2016). Sacrificial cathodic protection of reinforcing steel in atmospherically exposed concrete structures. Houston, TX: NACE International.

There are over 10,000 Level I, II and III inspectors in 74 countries worldwide, as large clients consider the qualification of Coating Inspector Frosio as a reference for monitoring the quality of the application of a painting cycle.

There are 367 active Certifications in Italy, of which 109 Level I (white card), 115 Level II (Green card) and 143 Level III (red card). The certification is in accordance with the Frosio Certification SCHEME, which follows the requirements of ISO 17024.

The University of Genova, accredited by FROSIO as a Training Body, is in charge of organising courses in the Italian language exclusively for the Italian territory. To date, 20 courses have been organised.

The Gruppo IspAC Associazione (GIA), accredited by FROSIO as Certifying Body, is in charge of organising the exams for the Qualification and Certification of Coating Inspectors Level I, II and III, renewal of certifications and level ups exclusively for the Italian territory.

segreteria@gruppoispac.org

frosioitalia@unige.it

www.perform.unige.it/corsi/corso-frosio

The preservation of historical structures with the MCI® technology of Cortec Corporation

The corrosion protection solutions based on the MCI® technology developed by Cortec have been successfully employed to restore and preserve the historical Zagreb Cathedral and the Medieval City Walls of Ilok.

The famous Zagreb Cathedral is the tallest and one of the most beautiful buildings in Croatia that attracts thousands of tourists worldwide. As the most impressive gothic-style sacral building southeast of the Alps, it is characterized by great architectural and historical value. Its construction dates back to 1093 with continued enrichment of the cathedral by famous architects during the following centuries.

Reconstruction of the cathedral in the late 1800s was led by Hermann Bollé, who brought the cathedral to its most recent architectural form in which it stood until the earthquake on 22nd March 2020 damaged the cathedral’s southern spire. Over the last 30 years, extensive restoration work has been undertaken on the cathedral, with ongoing repairs to this day. During reconstruction work on the south tower of the cathedral in 2012, damaged steel joints were found surrounding the tower 10 centimetres (4 inches) below the surface at approximately every 3 metres (1.1 yard) between the first and 25th rows. Most of the joints were only partially exposed in order to replace the surface layer of stone on the belltower, while the back of the joints remained embedded in stone and lime mortar. The joints were covered with a layer of rust and in drainage areas corroded all the way through the cross-section

In order to define the optimal solution for maintaining or improving the mechanical resistance and structural stability of the tower, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture of Zagreb was called in to examine the joints. At their laboratory, they performed experiments on steel joints removed from the cathedral. They recommended doing the following:

 Remove corrosion from accessible joint connections;

 Apply corrosion protection to accessible joint connections;

 Strengthen the joint connections where damage had occurred.

It was suggested that a minimal range of intrusion be used to keep the mechanical resistance and stability of the tower structure at their existing level while keeping costs at a minimum. Cortec’s CorrVerter® MCI® Rust Primer was recommended for corrosion protection. CorrVerter® is a water-based product that quickly converts rust into a protective layer and is capable of penetrating into corroded surfaces. It contains a novel chemical chelating agent that modifies surface rust into a hydrophobic passive layer. A metal brush was used to remove loose rust from the joints. Then, two layers of CorrVerter® MCI® Rust Primer coating were applied directly onto the metal. A brush was used for CorrVerter® MCI® application on smaller metal joint surfaces, while spray application was used for larger areas. The first coat was applied at a thickness of 100 microns (4 mils). A second coat was applied at a thickness of 75 microns (3 mils). During application, the coating temperature was 13 °C (55 °F). The joints were then reinforced with steel

In order to define the optimal solution for maintaining or improving the mechanical resistance and structural stability of the tower, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture of Zagreb was called in to examine the joints. At their laboratory, they performed experiments on steel joints removed from the cathedral.

fishplates that were welded onto the joints and protected with CorrVerter® MCI® Rust Primer. The final step was to replace the stones around the joints. With the help of a skilled team and good project management, the entire project was completed successfully with minimal cost and intrusion as specified. The coating penetrated into the metal and stopped further advancement of the corrosion process.

Renovation of the Medieval City Walls

The town of Ilok, Croatia, is a place of rich history and cultural heritage. The medieval long fortress and royal castle of Ilok are protected historical and cultural treasures of the highest degree, enabling visitors to step into ages long past. The tower walls have a square floor plan and rest on foundations made of broken stone. These walls are exposed to damaging atmospheric influences, and the binding material between the bricks has washed away, leading to brick deterioration. Renovation work on “tower three” includes strengthening of the foundations, restoration of collapsed parts, and injection of cracks.

The project involves the use of corrosion inhibitors to prolong the life of the structure. Cortec’s corrosion inhibitor, MCI®-2005 is added into concrete being used to reinforce the foundation. This amine-carboxylate based corrosion inhibitor additive will be used to protect embedded metallic reinforcement from corrosion in order to extend the lifetime of the walls. MCI®-2005 is a water-based, organic corrosion inhibiting admixture with set-retarding effects. When incorporated into concrete, it migrates towards reinforcement to form a molecular layer that inhibits the corrosion reaction on both anodic and cathodic components of the corrosion cell. In new construction, this protection is quantified by subsequent reduction in corrosion rates when corrosion does initiate. When used with repair mortars and grouts, MCI®-2005 not only protects rebar within the patch, but can also help protect embedded reinforcement already in place in undisturbed concrete adjacent to the repair. MCI®-2005 is a USDA Certified Biobased Product.

CrVI (6) is found in 55% of the studied coating samples by a new test method. This is a new ground breaking self-test method to detect hexavalent chromium in coating samples. The new solution solves the problem of false-negative and false-positive results.

Primer coatings containing the carcinogenic chemical compound chromate (hexavalent chromium, CrVI) have been widely used since WWII. These coatings can be found on many different spray coatings, they are often used on the metal surfaces of ships, airplanes and infrastructure such as bridges, containers, factories, steel structures in buildings and even metal and wooden window frames. Once applied, CrVI is stable and safe for humans. Depending on the application, various CrVI compounds of salts, hexavalent chromium salts can be identified. For example, in the aircraft industry, strontium chromate is still the most used chemical against corrosion. Dutch railway company (NS) used lead chromate for wagon coatings. In the past, zinc chromate has been extensively used in primer coatings.

CrVI compounds in coatings

CrVI compounds in coatings have proven to be outstanding corrosion blockers and provide excellent adhesion to various substrates. The chemical process is straightforward with steel (Fe) or aluminium (Al) attracting the chromate ions.

A very thin layer is then formed on the surface of the substrate, sometimes only one molecule thick. This causes passivation to occur and electrons cannot be transferred from the base material to the environment thereby stopping the corrosion process. The interesting thing about Chromium-6 is that it works over and over. Each time a coating damage occurs, chromate ions come to the rescue until all chromates are dissolved.

Applying the coating works as follows: first, a very thin pretreatment layer is applied to the metal that is to be protected. This layer is only a few micrometres thick. This is applied to allow the subsequent layers to adhere to the metal.

On top of this adhesive primer, the layer containing the anticorrosion functionality is applied: the primer, which is usually about 25 micrometres thick. And on top of that the so-called topcoat is applied, which is at least 30 micrometres or more. The primer contains a chromium-6 salt. There are many different possibilities, and each manufacturer makes its own choice for a specific Chromium-6 salt. Examples of salts that are added to the primer are strontium chromate or barium chromate.

Studies about chromates

The first Dutch Governmental studies into chromates date back to 1985 when worker safety was becoming an important issue and many studies are still ongoing today1. Since March 1, 2017 the Dutch government has set a maximum allowable exposure limit of 1 μg/m3. This limit is also valid for surface preparation. In over 55% of all coating samples that the Seef BV lab analysed hexavalent chromium was present. The scale of the problem is particularly serious in cases of surface preparation for recoating to prolong life of the assets.

Side effects of CrVI coatings

However, using CrVI in coatings has potential serious drawbacks in addition to its beneficial properties. Applying high velocity impacting methods of surface preparation such as cutting, grinding and grit blasting onto coated objects, can cause detrimental effects to steel by smearing and burnishing. The resulting gases, fumes, dust and coating particles can be hazardous to the health of the applicator and the environment. Small particles with carcinogenic CrVI can spread into the air, which can cause lung, nose, sinus, stomach or larynx cancer. In addition, these small dust particles can cause the development of asthma or COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). The emitted materials cause harm to the environment. Recent studies have shown that between 1984 and 2006 approximately 2500 Dutch Army employees have been exposed to CrVI containing coatings. They were insufficiently protected by protective gear. Early detection of CrVI compounds in coatings can remedy these health risks so that appropriate protective equipment can be used.

Testing for CrVI

The most well-known method is the swab-test. The test uses a small amount of reagent which reacts to CrVI. This reaction is visible due to the formation of a pink/purple colour. The test is easy to use but highly unreliable for several reasons, but the most important being that the test can result in false-negative results (test results show absence of CrVI, but there is CrVI present). False-negative results even occur at high concentrations of > 1000 mg/kg coating CrVI. The test is strongly influenced by components that are commonly found in coating. False-positive results can also occur due to pigments in the coating which can be very similar to the colour of the reagent.

1 https://www.nlarbeidsinspectie.nl/onderwerpen/chroom-6/documenten/publicaties/2018/10/04/ checklist-chroom-6-in-oppervlakken

MontiPower® is proud to have been a leading innovator in the surface preparation industry for 35 years now. Its equipment is used in a wide variety of applications, from the oil and gas industry to shipbuilding and many more. The history of MontiPower® started in 1987, when Werner Montabaur noticed that tools for body works on cars were not able to produce satisfying results. Werner was a pure car lover and was inspired and saw the potential to develop a new type of technology. After this discovery, in 1987 he founded MONTI Werkzeuge GmbH in Bonn. The 43mm brush belt system – dubbed ‘MontiPower’ – came to the market just twelve months later. They renamed it officially MontiPower® to keepsake of where they came from. Currently, MontiPower® is part of the broader Monti Group umbrella. The company underwent a recent and explosive growth of over the recent years. Year on year since 2018 the company is on a new strategic path.

In the last 5 years Monti pushed the limits on many new developments: Crawling Prepper, DeckPrepper, Subsea, HandPrepper Q4, Cordless, Rope Access kit, DustControl, the new Bristle Blaster W, New Frontheads, new manufacturing machines, Cordless VZ are some of the innovations and development launched by MontiPower since 2018 and consolidated in 2022. From the sales network point of view, Monti has a strong, dynamic young team in Brasil, a new distributor in Italy while Mtest from Houston is stronger than ever before thanks to the calibration business and new online portals. MTest will also open a new office in Lousiana in 2023.

“From many perspectives, there is as always, a big job ahead of us to exceed the forecast of the Monti Strategic Plan year on year, and to be the world’s best surface preparation provider, creating the best possible coating and sealant bond to a substrate in the broadest sense. Our mission is clear and still very much ahead of us. We make coatings perform better”, JF Doddema Chief Executive Officer & Partner of MontiPower® states. “Ever since its start in 1987, Monti has been the leader in bristle blasting as a surface preparation method. The method is unique and Monti will do more efforts to make more applicators understand the value proposition versus other possible tools such as needle guns, abrasive blasting, or even sandpaper. Monti remains committed to help the coating and sealant industry, asset owners and contractors to offer the safest, quickest and easiest way for their surface preparation”. So far, Monti’s focus has been spot-repair for field maintenance and restoration jobs up to circa 15m2.

Laboratory analysis is an alternative way to detect the presence of CrVI compounds. Although the method used in the laboratory reduces the chance of a false-negative result, it is still sensitive to disruptive components in the coating. For example, when high concentrations of contaminants such as Zinc or Aluminium are present, which are commonly found in all types of coatings, this analysis is influenced negatively producing results with a decreased amount of CrVI or no CrVI at all. Besides that, this method is slow (3-8 working days) and expensive.

New test method

A new ground breaking method of detecting hexavalent chromium (CrVI) solves the problems of false-positive and false-negative test results. The great benefit of this method is that it makes it possible to detect CrVI on-site with the highest reliability. It is possible to detect hexavalent chromium from as low as 20 mg/kg, even in the presence of disruptive contaminants. Depending on the desired detection limit, a single test can be performed in 20 minutes. From field samples that have been performed on many different infrastructures, it is clear that the chromate issues goes much further than the Dutch rail wagons and the equipment of the Dutch army. Indeed, from direct observations it appears that the

Now the company is on the road to move away from a single reliance on spot- and weld repair as new developments such as aeroblaster, prepper, q4 will open many new opportunities to Monti.

MontiPower® celebrated its 35 years anniversary with a sparkling event held on December 2. It was an exciting and surprising evening full of MontiPower history, future, innovations and... Power! The event saw the participation of MontiPower® Staff from all over the world and many international guests, including the the Waterman (a technician specialized on spot repair under water), the World Champions BMX Charlotte Doddema who received a nice cheque for a new bike to prolong the world champion title with success as Nr. 1 in the world BMX-Racing. The event was closed by the show of Marco Bonisimo, Comedy Juggler and current Guinness World Record Juggler with footballs, to thank everyone for their support.

JF Doddema, personally thanked all Monti suppliers and clients for their continuous support and dedication – “we couldn’t have been where we are today without your commitment and endorsement”. He also said: “I also would like to thank the team at the Monti Group for all the hard work and incredible levels of enthusiasm ensuring that our customers and partners get the very best from us”.

35 years of Monti. Let’s celebrate the future.

percentage of 55% of the samples is just a tip of the iceberg. A quickscan of bridges in the Province of North Holland show that 50% of the examined steel were prone to CrVI. CrVI was found on the famous Waalbridge in Holland in 2018 which led to an extra cost of 25 million euros. Solutions are needed for environmental-, applicator friendly methods to remove coating. The methods to remove coatings or layers of coatings should not produce gases, fumes and dust which can affect the environments and applicators health.

CrVI blacklisted

Today, CrVI is forbidden as a coating ingredient in Europe. It is blacklisted by EU REACH regulation (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals). Since 2017 users of CrVI containing coatings must possess special permits for their production. Nevertheless, there remain many thousands of coated infrastructures containing CrVI in the market and chromates must therefore be monitored carefully.

Contractors, engineers, and asset owners should mitigate risks as much as possible to protect people and nature. Solutions such as bristle blasting where dust can be captured by special units attached to the tool or machine are one solution to the chromate issue. Bristle blasting is a method of surface preparation creating a profile of > 50 micron and offers a cleanliness similar to ISO 8501-1 Sa2,5.

A guideline for taking samples is the OGOS-300-TRL. This guideline pays attention to paint samples in relation to CrVI. Neutralising methods to change CrVI to CrIII also exist: this is for example the ChroNO64 method.

Engineers, asset owners and contractors should be aware of possible extra costs when CrVI sampling is required prior to starting a rehab or maintenance project. It is important to understand preventive methods of neutralising CrVI to CrIII, or methods like bristle blasting without dust generation. Failing to take precautions in this regard could result in the stopping of the project.

Engineering

Ultra wear resistant elastomeric coatings repair compounds

made in Germany - since 1960

„I would love to have your problems !!!“

Metal powder coating expert LEPOXI relies on Interpon’s

Redox technology

A component’s design is the first key element in ensuring its high corrosion resistance degree. The second key element is the surface treatment applied to it, including preparation, cleaning, and pre-treatment, together with the application of a suitable coating system. Powder coating systems that combine a primer with a top coat make up the last frontier of corrosion protection barriers and guarantee the achievement of a quality level corresponding to corrosion categories C4-H or C5M-H in compliance with QualiSteelCoat specifications. In particular, thanks to its collaboration with AkzoNobel Coatings S.L.U., Lepoxi was the first industrial coating contractor in the Spanish province of Gipuzkoa to obtain QualiSteelCoat certification.

Lepoxi was established in 1992 to offer metal powder coating and finishing services. With the initial purpose of meeting the needs of its founding partners’ primary business, a company producing boilers and kitchen equipment, Lepoxi soon realised that it could also offer this service to other customers, thus meeting the growing demand from companies in its area.

“Currently, Lepoxi operates as a contract coater for many different industries, as long as the parts to be treated are metallic,” says company director Leopoldo Sánchez Ruiz. “We especially work for the boiler, office and kitchen furniture, automotive, and train and railway industries. We are very versatile and we employ a totally refurbished coating plant, which integrates all the technological innovations we need to provide a wide variety of sectors with high coating quality.” In 2018, Lepoxi went through a renovation phase to optimise its warehouse area; in 2020, a 250 m2 expansion of its factory brought the operational site to a total of 2000 m2, divided into three integrated areas housing different departments and offices.

Quality-oriented, continuous evolution

Lepoxi is a constantly evolving company, always conducting research, development, and innovation projects and implementing programmes for managing its impact on the environment and training its workforce. “Our ISO 9001:2015 and QualiSteelCoat certifications (the latter obtained in 2019) reflect our continuous evolution in the handling of the projects we are assigned by the numerous customers that place their trust in us, which we tackle though our multidisciplinary team with long-standing experience, certainly our greatest value,” adds Sánchez Ruiz. “The QualiSteelCoat certification, in particular, is very important in terms of quality control of the coatings applied to our treated metal parts, which must ensure good aesthetics but also adequate corrosion protection. Lepoxi is the first company in this sector in the Gipuzkoa area to have obtained both accreditations.

Two factors have enabled it to achieve this milestone. First of all, it is excellently managed by a reliable staff of technicians and workers: fifteen people who have grown hand in hand with the company. In this regard, we are also pioneers in conducting energy efficiency studies geared towards cost reduction through continuous audits and we carry out recurring labour risk assessments because we pay close attention to this issue.

“Our second success factor is having chosen a very serious, responsive powder coating supplier,” explains Sánchez Ruiz.

“AkzoNobel supports us very well in analysing our customers’ specifications, a key activity for Lepoxi especially as regards the railway industry. It also offers a proven corrosion protection technology, namely the paints of its Interpon Redox series, which we use for most of our projects.”

The production process

Lepoxi has implemented numerous major technological innovations in its plant, located in Lezo (Gipuzkoa, Spain). “All components that are treated by Lepoxi are considered unique and enter the production process in an exclusive way, so that the operators pay all the utmost attention to each one of them for optimal finishing results. We go far beyond paint application on metal structures and components, completing our service range with screen printing, assembly, labelling, and packaging, as well as fulfilling all customer specifications,” indicates Leopoldo Sánchez. “Moreover, Lepoxi’s sophisticated coating plant features all the latest innovations required to implement processes with all the necessary quality guarantees".

“The pre-treatment and surface preparation cycle forms the basis for high-quality powder coating operations. Therefore, we chose a six-stage multi-metal pre-treatment process based on mixed conversion and solgel technology, which is applicable to different types of substrate: coldrolled steel (CRS), hot-dip galvanised steel (HDGS), electro-galvanised steel, aluminium, and all other materials that can be powder coated. The cycle includes alkaline degreasing, two rinses with mains water, highperformance nanotechnology conversion, one rinse with demineralised water, and nanotechnology passivation applied by spraying through the ProSpray System. Coupled with a suitable coating system (primer and top coat), this pre-treatment process enables us to achieve a quality degree corresponding to corrosion categories C4-H or C5M-H in compliance with the QualiSteelCoat standard, depending on the coating system and material.”

The coating line also consists of a 17-metre long drying tunnel, an intermediate curing oven, and high-tech coating equipment supplied by Nordson, including two application booths, one of which uses dense phase pump powder feed technology and the other Venturi technology. “Arranged based on Lepoxi’s requirements, all these elements allow for a simultaneous double-layer application process, our choice to tackle the corrosion issue.

The treatment cycle ends in a 40 metre-long in-line curing tunnel equipped with two burners and two combustion chambers reaching temperatures between 180 and 210 °C, which are ideal for perfect powder cross-linking.” A central digital control unit for the entire process and inline alarm systems complete the system.

Interpon Redox for superior corrosion protection

Choosing a powder coating system that meets all the requirements of a project can be a complex task. This is why Lepoxi chose AkzoNobel as its powder coating supplier for most of its painting needs, especially for customers in the railway sector and, in general, for all those orders with very strict requirements.

Depending on customer specifications, Lepoxi applies mainly polyesters from the Interpon D family, both in standard quality (Interpon D1036) and in superdurable quality (Interpon D2525). The polyurethane products in the Interpon EC (Easy Clean) range are intended for the railway sector, whereas the primers from the Interpon Redox PZ (zinc), Interpon Redox Plus (barrier effect for steel and aluminium), and Interpon Active (passivation of steel) ranges are employed for excellent corrosion protection. Lepoxi also works with Interpon Redox APA primers, epoxypolyester hybrid products that are specifically conceived for degassing substrates susceptible to retaining gases, such as hot-dip galvanised steel (HDGS), spray galvanised steel, zamak, and aluminium castings among others. “The Interpon Redox coatings offer the high corrosion protection degree guaranteed by multi-layer powder systems for high-performance components,” notes Leopoldo Sánchez Ruiz. “Due to our geographical proximity to France, we work a lot with the French market, which promotes corrosion primers much more than the Spanish one. Therefore, we are open to all kinds of customer specifications.”

“Especially on the subject of primers,” states Juan Carlos Albizua, AkzoNobel’s sales representative in the Basque Country, “our strategy as powder coating suppliers is to create an industrial culture around the topic of corrosion protection.”

Choosing a powder coating system that meets all the requirements of a project can be a complex task. This is why Lepoxi chose AkzoNobel as its powder coating supplier for most of its painting needs, especially for customers in the railway sector and, in general, for all those orders with very strict requirements.

Value engineering with MCI®-2019 for concrete maintenance and repair

The 40% silane, solvent-based concrete water repellent containing Migrating Corrosion Inhibitors MCI®-2019 is a value engineering solution to take advantage of when seeking to extend the service life of existing concrete structures.

The concept of value engineering is not only for the construction phase. It is also a useful practice during the maintenance and repair stages of existing reinforced concrete structures, ensuring projects get done within budget. True value engineering saves money without reducing service life or affecting the quality of construction or materials. Ideally, it adds value to the project. MCI®-2019 is one such value engineering solution to take advantage of when seeking to extend the service life of existing concrete structures.

The benefit of MCI® water repellents

MCI®-2019 is a 40% silane, solvent-based concrete water repellent containing Migrating Corrosion Inhibitors. The small molecules of MCI®-2019 can easily penetrate into concrete, providing water repellency by chemically reacting with cementitious substrates under proper application. MCI®-2019 seals surface pores, which prevents intrusion of chloride and carbonation and protects from the ingress of wind-driven rain. Treated areas retain

their original appearance and are breathable. MCI®-2019 is an excellent option both as the finishing touch on a concrete repair (where no membrane or coating system is used) and for periodic maintenance every 7-10 years. Since MCI®-2019 increases service life, it can ultimately reduce the use of repair or reconstruction materials, thus contributing to sustainability.

Coping with silane shortages

One of the big challenges for the construction industry and many others today is the issue of raw material shortages (consequently driving the cost of materials up). For instance, silane supplies are often delayed or difficult to find. Using only a 40% silane relaxes the demand and helps the supply go farther while still providing a significant degree of water repellency. Since MCI®-2019 contains Migrating Corrosion Inhibitors that provide active corrosion protection at the rebar, the need for 100% silane is also not as strong because a dual mechanism is at work to keep corrosives out and resist those that do find their way in.

Cutting costs

In addition to working around supply chain shortages, MCI®-2019 is also a great way to help cut costs when working on a limited budget. This is especially true with the current combination of supply chain shortages and inflation driving up the price of silane even farther. Using MCI®-2019 saves costs compared to similar alternative systems. It can help a project stay within budget while still offering an excellent source of corrosion protection.

Saving labour time and intensity

Another way MCI®-2019 can save costs is simply by requiring less labour than other water repellents and surface applied corrosion inhibitors (SACIs). Silane wears out and erodes over time, so a good maintenance practice is to reapply it at 7–10-year intervals to maintain concrete water resistance and simultaneously add another dose of SACIs. Usually, workers water-blast the surface to make sure the silane residual is completely cleaned off and then apply a new SACI and a 100% silane water repellent. However, with MCI®-2019, this may be unnecessary. Workers can save time by applying one or two coats of a two-in-one product and leaving the old silane in place. The silane in MCI®-2019 supplements any residual silane, while Migrating Corrosion Inhibitors are still able to penetrate into the concrete. A further advantage is that MCI®2019 does not etch, stain, discolour, or otherwise harm glass or aluminium.

Repair of University Towers

In 2015, three 1970’s cast-in-place concrete residence towers at a Midwestern university required repair due to rusted rebar in concrete. After using MCI®-2019 instead of a standard 40% solids silane water repellent post-repair, the project’s specifying engineer commented, “MCI®-2019 provided a cost-effective solution in applying both a migrating corrosion inhibitor and a silane sealer in a single product in one application with no resulting colour change to concrete façade[s].” The non-etching feature was crucial to the protection of the structure’s new windows, and the parties involved were happy with the ease of MCI®-2019 application.

Be Ready with Multiple Value Engineering Solutions

In today’s market, it is important to have many different value engineering options at one’s fingertips. MCI®-2019 is one that can help engineers and contractors cope with silane shortages and stay within budget all while fortifying concrete with corrosion inhibitors to extend service life. www.cortecmci.com

With MCI®-2019, workers can save time by applying one or two coats of a two-in-one product and leaving the old silane in place. The silane in MCI®-2019 supplements any residual silane, while Migrating Corrosion Inhibitors are still able to penetrate into the concrete. A further advantage is that MCI®-2019 does not etch, stain, discolour, or otherwise harm glass or aluminium.

ROAD TO 2050

REDUCING THE CORROSION OF STEEL IS VITAL TO COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE

A study led by The Ohio State University found that replacing corroded metal is a major environmental issue.

Every year, the United States of America spends nearly a trillion dollars fighting metallic corrosion, an electrochemical reaction that occurs when metals oxidise and begin to rust.

By taking on this surprisingly insidious issue, researchers have now estimated how much corrosion is gradually worsening global carbon emissions.

“Global steel production has been rising steadily for decades –and because steel has poor resistance to corrosion, part of that demand is to replace steel used in construction materials that have become corroded over time in everything: from bridges to automobiles. Reducing the amount of steel that needs to be replaced due to corrosion could have measurable effects on how much greenhouse gases are produced to make steel,” has declared Gerald Frankel, the co-author of the study and a professor in materials science and engineering at The Ohio State University.

Though previous studies have estimated the current economic cost of corrosion to be about 3 to 4% of a nation’s gross domestic product, this new study, led by Ohio State alum Mariano Iannuzzi and published in the journal npj Materials Degradation1, is the first to quantify the environmental impact associated with steel corrosion.

“Given society’s reliance on coal fuel, iron and steel production is one of the largest greenhouse gases emitters of any industry,” has added Frankel. “But most of the costs associated with the industry actually stem from the energy that goes into creating steel, and that energy is lost as the steel reverts to rust, which is similar to its original form of iron ore. The time it takes steel to corrode largely depends on the severity of the environment and the alloy composition, but this environmentally expensive issue is only getting worse.”

Using historical carbon dioxide intensity data to estimate carbon dioxide levels per year beginning from 1960, the researchers found that in 2021, steel production accounted for 27% of the carbon emissions of the global manufacturing sector, and about 10.5% of the total global carbon emissions worldwide. Corroded steel replacement accounted for about 1.6 to 3.4% of emissions. But there is some good news. Due to regulations placed on the steel industry, technological advances in the steelmaking process have resulted in a 61% reduction in energy consumption over the last 50 years.

Despite this improvement, the results of the study are a call to action for policymakers and industry officials to amend and coordinate international policy regarding steel production and corrosion management, Frankel said.

1 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41529-022-00318-1, 25/01/2023

“Coordinated international strategies, as well as decreasing global steel demand, by using best practices for corrosion mitigation, could better improve global corrosion management strategies and drastically reduce the rise in greenhouse gas emissions we’re seeing due to repeatedly replacing corroded steel,” has continued Frankel.

If actions to improve steel’s carbon footprint are not taken soon, the study notes that greenhouse gas emissions produced by the steel industry could reach about 27.5% of the world’s total carbon emissions by 2030, with corroded steel representing about 4 to 9% of that number. Such a result would make the goals set by the Paris Agreement to limit Earth’s warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius as well as the U.S.’s own domestic climate goals almost completely unfeasible. The study notes that management strategies such as taking advantage of machine learning technologies could be one of the best chances we have to reduce Earth’s carbon dioxide levels.

That said, if humans cannot meet these conditions, the consequences for Earth’s climate will be dire, so more people need to be made aware that a low-carbon steel industry is needed to prevent such a dystopia, said Frankel.

“Global warming is a societal challenge that takes coordination of a lot of multidisciplinary approaches,” has concluded Frankel.

“Our work is bringing to light an issue that seems to have gone under the radar in terms of the importance of adding to the problem.”

www.osu.edu

STATE-OF-THE-ART ADAPTA

RUSTPROOF SYSTEM® VS. ISO 12944:2018 CX

ADAPTA COLOR SL –

The anti-corrosive system Adapta Rustproof System®, which underwent several testing processes with respect to ISO 12944:2018 CX, is highly recommended in extremely corrosive environments, such as coastal buildings and facilities.

The issue of corrosion poses a major problem around the globe, both in terms of the associated occupational safety issues as well as the economic losses that it causes each year. In more developed countries, the annual cost of corrosion has been estimated at 3.1% of GDP, which is why scientific institutions and communities are devoting time and resources to analysing and preventing it.

In this respect, Adapta has seen an interesting avenue of research in testing its state-of-the-art primers with respect to ISO 12944:2018 CX, since it understands that the technical committee that drew up this regulation has incorporated a truly interesting component: the stress of the coating in the face of atmospheric and temperature changes.

Regulation ISO 12944:2018 CX for paints and varnishes

‘Performance requirements for protective paint systems for offshore and related structures’, anticipates a total exposure for the coating of 4,200 hours, divided into 25 cycles. Each cycle is divided into the following stages (Figure 1):

 72 hours of UV exposure and condensation according to regulation UNE EN ISO 16474-3:2014, alternating four hours of artificial aging under UV light at 60 ± 3º C and four hours of condensation at 50 ± 3º C. Type 1 Lamps (UVA 340);

 72 hours of exposure to salt spray according to UNE-EN-ISO 9227:2012;

 24 hours of exposure at low temperature, at -20 ± 2º C.

At the end of 25 cycles, this adds up to the following number of hours of exposure during each of the various stages:

 1,800 hours of QUV 340;

 1,800 hours in the Salt Spray Chamber;

 600 hours at -20 ºC.

THE NORSOK STANDARDS ARE BASED ON INTERNATIONALLYRECOGNISED REGULATIONS AND INCORPORATE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE DEEMED NECESSARY IN ORDER TO SATISFY THE EXTREME DEMANDS OF THE NORWEGIAN OIL INDUSTRY.

ADVANCEMENTS

Before beginning the cycles, a 50-mm incision is made in the coating with a width of 2 mm. The repeated exposure cycles are an attempt to simulate the extreme environments of offshore structures, that is, structures exposed to a marine environment and submerged in sea water or brackish water.

Offshore structures may be floating or fixed to the sea floor, with many of these being oil and gas extraction platforms. A great number of these platforms are located in the North Sea and the Norwegian Sea.

Adapta has selected two types of substrates prepared according to NORSOK Standard M-501 (Surface preparation and protective coating - Edition 6, February 2012): galvanised steel (Figure 2) and aluminium (Figure 3).

Both substrates received, prior to coating, a phosphate-free nanotechnological surface treatment.

The NORSOK standards are based on internationally-recognised regulations and incorporate additional requirements that are deemed necessary in order to satisfy the extreme demands of the Norwegian oil industry. It compiles the requirements for selecting coating materials, preparing the surface, application procedures

and inspection of protective coatings that are applied during the construction and installation of offshore structures.

The anti-corrosive coating applied consists of a coating system of two powder coating layers. The first layer is made up of a primer, Adapta ROC, RB-7708, and the second is a metallic finish in superdurable quality (Adapta SDS), DX-9006-XW. The total thickness of both layers in both systems is between 140 and 180 microns, this being less than the minimum required (>225 microns) for systems based on liquid paints.

This also provides a reduction in costs and procedures compared to these liquid systems. The tests were performed in the certified laboratories of Tecnalia Research & Innovation, where tests were performed with respect to the evaluation of defects, according to UNE-EN-ISO 4628, adhesion according to UNE-EN-ISO 14624, and pull-off test for adhesion according to UNE-EN-ISO 4624. Satisfactory results were obtained from all of these tests.

The anti-corrosive system Adapta Rustproof System® is, therefore, highly recommended in extremely corrosive environments, such as, for example, coastal buildings and facilities.

Hear from the global supply chain, including:

Other speaking companies include: Charter Coating Services (2000), Dam Coating, The Sherwin-Williams Company, Norner, Cefracor, AkzoNobel Powder Coatings, Seal For Life, AMI, Axalta, Borealis and more!

Also sponsored by: Supported by:

ROAD TO 2050

,

Decarbonising the hydropower industry with protective coatings and repair composites

The industrial protective coatings and the epoxy repair composites will play a fundamental role in the modernisation of ageing hydropower plants, supporting the decarbonisation of the industry.

Considering the imminent exponential growth of the hydropower industry, it is essential that an arsenal of strategies is implemented in order to raise the sustainability standards within hydropower facilitiesdriving the industry towards a net zero future.

Of these strategies, protective coatings and repair composites have an important part to play. By intrinsically improving the integrity of key hydropower assets, these products help to accelerate the drive towards more sustainable hydropower facilities and, therefore, the decarbonisation of the sector.

The carbon footprint of hydropower

While the environmental benefits of hydropower far outweigh fossil fuel alternatives, like most alternative energy sources, hydropower is not without its carbon footprint. Indeed, all energy sources, even renewables, produce carbon emissions in their lifecycle, due to the emissions caused by their manufacture, construction and operation.

While there are some hydropower facilities, such as Iceland’s Landsvirkjun1, which have pledged to become carbon neutral, on average, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that hydropower has a median greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensity of 24 gCO₂-eq/kWh. This is the grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt-hour of electricity generated allocated over its life-cycle. By comparison, the median figure for coal is 820 gCO₂-eq/kWh.

Hydropower capacity needs to double by 2050

The need to mitigate this carbon footprint somewhat ratchets up when considering the huge role hydropower is set to play in supporting a net zero emissions by 2050 pathway (in line with The Paris Agreement).

In the International Energy Association’s (IEA) “Net Zero by 2050’ Roadmap2” (revised version 2021), the required growth of hydropower is colossal. The roadmap states that hydropower capacity needs to ‘double by 2050’, positioning the industry as ‘[…] the third-largest energy source in the electricity mix by 2050.’

A call to modernise aging plants

While it is essential that hydropower capacity ‘doubles’ by 2050, one way of increasing this capacity is by, what the IEA describes as “modernising ageing plants”. In fact, their Roadmap details how between now and 2030, USD 127 billion – or almost one-quarter of global hydropower investment –will be spent on modernising ageing plants.

In regards to these ‘ageing plants’, according to the IEA, in North America, the average hydropower plant is nearly 50 years old and in Europe, the average is 45 years old.

The report goes on to say how: ‘These ageing fleets – which have provided affordable and reliable renewable electricity on demand for decades – are in need of modernisation to ensure they can contribute to electricity security in a sustainable manner for decades to come.’

1 https://www.landsvirkjun.com/weaim-to-reachcarbon-neutralityin-2025, 25/01/2023

2 https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/deebef5d-0c34-4539-9d0c-10b13d840027/ NetZeroby2050-ARoadmapfortheGlobalEnergySector_CORR.pdf, 25/01/2023

Extend lifespan of hydropower assets with industrial protective coatings and composites

Industrial protective coatings and epoxy repair composites play a fundamental role in “modernising ageing plants”, which in turn, supports the decarbonisation of the hydropower industry. By investing in this polymeric technology, aged assets can be repaired, protected and improved for the long term. This process successfully helps to mitigate the carbon footprint of hydropower facilities as it breathes new life into assets that would otherwise be decommissioned, replaced or sent to landfill.

Companies such as Belzona (established in 1952) have a portfolio of protective coatings and repair composites that have been used to improve the efficiency and performance of hydropower assets for decades.

Based on the level of erosion resistance required, the epoxy paste, Belzona 1111 (Super Metal) and composite repair polymer, Belzona 1311 (Ceramic R-Metal), can be specified for rebuilding damage and restoring efficiency in areas such as turbines, wicket gates and turbine casings.

The efficiency improving capabilities of these systems can be demonstrably identified in the two-part epoxy coating, Belzona 1341 (Supermetalglide). With this high-performance coating, the efficiency of fluid handling equipment, such as pumps, can be increased by up to 7% on new equipment and up to 20% on refurbished equipment.

As seen in the graph below, in a study carried out by Leeds University, it was found that when compared to polished stainless steel, Belzona 1341 (Supermetalglide) was 15 times smoother.

The two-part polyurethane resin, Belzona 2141 (ACR-Fluid Elastomer), can be deployed in areas that are particularly

subjected to high levels of cavitation, such as Kaplan turbine blades. This system offers an outstanding level of protection against cavitation at ultra-high velocities (up to 115 knots with no damage).

Belzona’s range of polymeric systems can be specified in the following application areas, amongst others: turbines, penstock gates, generators, spiral casings, draft tubes, transformers, powerhouses, control valves, dams, stilling basins and spillways.

Mitigating hydropower’s carbon footprint

By investing in industrial protective coatings and epoxy repair composites, the lifespan of hydropower assets can be considerably prolonged. In turn, this supports more sustainable operations within hydropower facilities and, therefore, helps to mitigate the carbon footprint of the industry.

www.belzona.com

From the left:

The visibly damaged Francis turbine prior to application.

Application of the first layer of the epoxy coating Belzona 1341 (Supermetalglide).

Application of Belzona 2141 (ACR-Fluid Elastomer) on Pelton turbine nozzle head.

Gruppo IspAC, the quality guarantee of the coating inspection

Gruppo IspAC was founded in September 1997 as nonprofit association with the aim to promote and develop corrosion sensibility among the largest number of people and companies with the technical evaluations support, solutions and education in the field of corrosion prevention in various sectors, such as:

 Engineering

 Power

 Transports

 Naval

 Oil & gas.

About Gruppo IspAC

Gruppo IspAC is composed by several qualified coating inspectors. It is firm belief of the association that, in each sector, the best guarantee of quality is directly proportional to the level of technical preparation of the people involved in the various stages of production. Gruppo IspAC is composed by professionals with a long experience in the field of corrosion protection, so they can offer an unsurpassed level of expertise. From 2004, it is cooperating with Frosio, the leading certifying body for surface treatment and insulation inspectors, and from 2009 Gruppo IspAC became the officially authorised provider of Frosio certifications in Italy.

The Frosio certification

From 2009, Gruppo IspAC has been qualified by Frosio as an officially authorised examination body. As a matter of fact, the Frosio Certification scheme require that certifying bodies shall not be involved with the training and vice versa. This is why the University of Genova is the only Italian institution that has been accredited by Frosio as a training body. So, it is in charge of organising the Italian courses for the internationally recognised Qualification and Certification of Coating Inspectors Level I, II and III in accordance with the Frosio Scheme, which follows the requirements of ISO 17024. Therefore, in Italy there are two bodies operating: the certifying body represented by Gruppo IspAC and the training body represented by the University of Genova.

The Frosio Italia course

The Frosio Italia course organised by these two bodies is unique for all the three levels of certification, it is carried out in Italian language and the documentation provided by the lecturers is in Italian language.

There are generally two annual editions: January/February and June/July, with a full-time commitment of two weeks. The exam is proposed the day after the end of the course.

During these years, more than 350 professionals in the sector were trained in 20 courses organised by University of Genova, and they were the certified by Gruppo IspAC.

Technical publications

In 2008 Gruppo IspAC published a technical book in Italian with the title “Elementi di corrosione e anticorrosione”. The topics treated are the followings:

 corrosion

 construction details

 preparation of the surfaces to be coated

 painting products

 coatings manufacturing

 technical datasheet of the products

 safety datasheet

 application of paint products

 checks and measures

 cost accounting, by type of preparation, product, cycle.

An indispensable certification worldwide

Over 10,000 Level I, II and III inspectors operate in 74 countries worldwide. The contractors and the most important players in the corrosion protection field consider the qualification of the Frosio Coating Inspector as a reference for monitoring the quality of application of a painting cycle.

There are 367 active certifications in Italy, that include 109 level I (white card), n. 115 Level II (Green Card) and 143 Level III (Red Card).

THE INDUSTRY MEETING

Brussels announced as the host city of EUROCORR 2023

It has been announced that Brussels will become the capital of corrosion in 2023 with the arrival EFC’s annual congress EUROCORR - Europe’s most renowned corrosion event.

Uniquely in 2023, EUROCORR will focus on the new generation of corrosion engineers. Indeed, the young scientists will have the floor throughout the congress, which this year will be hosted by VOM asbl in collaboration with the University of Mons, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Materia Nova, and DECHEMA.

Decisive challenges

The event at Square – Brussels Convention Centre will focus on the huge impact on metal selection when it comes to topics like the Green deal and Circular economy.

New metal surfaces and substrates like recycled metals, additive manufactured metals, new coatings, and new inhibitors are rapidly finding their way to the markets to meet these crucial, essential, and decisive challenges. This puts the whole corrosion society (both academia and industry) under pressure to define research strategy better, focusing on the implementation of improved corrosion protection systems supported by relevant predictive models. The congress will aim to reduce the gap between the academic world and industry, especially in the field of corrosion prediction by advanced measuring, modelling, and monitoring. And Brussels will provide a welcome backdrop for EUROCORR’s delegates. Close to the Grand-Place in the historic heart of Brussels, EUROCORR will offer guests the opportunity to discover

the charming historical city centre surrounded by gothic art, modern art and art-nouveau architecture that colours the city. With more than 800 delegates expected, the aim of the congress is to provide opportunities to create contacts from all countries, to facilitate the networking and to exchange knowledge and the latest findings between scientists, academics, researchers, students and industry related to corrosion.

What to expect from EUROCORR 2023

Closing the gap between industry and academia in corrosion, science, and prediction, EUROCORR 2023 in Brussels from 27 to 31 August 2023 will offer five days for some of the brightest minds in the industry to share thoughts, ideas, and knowledge in a wide variety of discussions, presentations, and stimulating topics, which have recently been announced.

Topics:

- Corrosion and Scale Inhibition (WP1)

- Corrosion by Hot Gases and Combustion Products (WP3)

- Nuclear Corrosion (WP4)

- Environment Sensitive Fracture (WP5)

- Corrosion Mechanisms, Electrochemical Methods in Corrosion Research and Modelling of Corrosion Processes (WP6 & WP8)

- Corrosion Education (WP7)

- Marine Corrosion (WP9)

- Microbial Corrosion (WP10)

- Corrosion of Steel in Concrete (WP11)

- Corrosion in Oil and Gas Production (WP13)

- Coatings (WP14)

- Corrosion in Refinery and Petrochemistry (WP15)

- Cathodic Protection (WP16)

- Automotive Corrosion (WP17)

- Tribo-Corrosion (WP18)

- Corrosion of Polymer Materials (WP19)

- Corrosion and Corrosion Protection of Drinking Water Systems (WP20)

- Corrosion of Archaeological and

Historical Artefacts (WP21)

- Corrosion Control in Aerospace (WP22)

- Corrosion Reliability of Electronics (WP23)

- CO2 Corrosion in CCS Applications (TF CO2)

- Atmospheric Corrosion (WP25)

- Advances in New Corrosion Protection Methods

- EUROCORR Young Scientist Session

- Corrosion in Additive Manufacturing.

Important Dates

- Call for abstracts – on-line forms opening: October 2022

- Registration on-line opening: October 2022

- Abstract Submission: 16 January 2023

- Notification of acceptance to authors: 28 April 2023

- Submission of full papers: 16 June 2023

www.EUROCORR2023.org and www.vom.beT

StocExpo 2023 Launches with a Fresh and Future-Focused Rebrand

StocExpo, one of the main international trade fairs for the tank storage sector which will take place from place 14th to 16th March 2023 in Rotterdam (The Netherlands), has presented an updated, fresher, and more inclusive white and green rebranding. Managed by Easyfairs, the StocExpo trade show allows the tank storage industry to gain wider insights, greater opportunities, more experience and specific expertise.In recognition of the evolution of the tank storage industry towards a more sustainable future made of cleaner and greener fuels, StocExpo has changed its branding with more modern colours and icons.

The clean, minimalist branding sends a message of modernity to the industry. The new logo is a circle but split into two halves, slightly off-centre. So, it conveys the classic ‘s’ in the centre. The remaining branding features elements all relating to tank storage. The new branding of StocExpo mirrors its efforts to lead the tank storage industry into the future.

The new features for the 2023 edition of the event, such as the Asset Management & Integrity Conference, the cooperation with FETSA and the iTanks pitch contest, will further highlight its commitment. As a matter of fact, following the introduction of the “40 under 40” and the “Women in Tanks” initiatives, the event wanted to incorporate a new branding that represented its position as an accelerator in the industry. On top of this, the event will play host to a diversity and inclusion panel, cementing its commitment to championing minorities in the industry.

“StocExpo is the largest and longest-running international tank storage and future fuels event. The new branding feels fresh and different from before. Previous years graphics have promoted dated parts of our industry, but as we move into more sustainable future fuels, the new branding design has a much more obvious nod to that future,” has stated Rikki Bhachu, the head of marketing for StocExpo.

“The new graphics and colours encompass the storage of ammonia, hydrogen, biofuels, the capture of carbon, and robotics. The new branding stands out, works on all formats and links back to bulk liquids, robotics, drones, and e-fuels. It also reflects current challenges and future developments in terminal safety, efficiency, and sustainability.”

www.stocexpo.com

WindEurope Annual Event: programme now available and registrations open

Registration is now open for WindEurope’s Annual Event 2023. The biggest gathering of Europe’s wind industry this year takes place in Copenhagen on 25-27 April. The programme is online. Over 400 companies are exhibiting. 10,000 people will be there including Fatih Birol, the EU Energy Commissioner and Energy Ministers from around Europe. Come and join them. The WindEurope Annual Event is once again bringing together the leading voices of wind energy. It’s taking place in Copenhagen’s Bella Center on 25-27 April 2023.“The energy crisis means Europe needs more wind power and it needs it asap. Now is the time to deliver. Which is not easy when costs are up and it’s still hard to get permits. But Governments want more wind. So do consumers. So deliver we must. WindEurope 2023 will focus on how. Come and join us!”, says Giles Dickson, WindEurope CEO. Over the three days participants will be able to attend a diverse conference programme with more than 50 different sessions, participate in networking sessions, explore different feature areas, and see the latest technological developments on the exhibition floor. The exhibition is fully sold out, illustrating the huge interest in the WindEurope Annual Event 2023. More than 400 companies have booked their stand at the WindEurope Annual Event 2023 already.

Denmark – the birthplace of wind energy

Denmark is the birthplace of wind energy. In January the country reached a milestone when wind energy generation exceeded Denmark’s electricity demand for a whole weekend. With several other projects for direct electrification and powerto-x Denmark is driving the deep decarbonisation of its economy. Its wind energy supply chain serves as a strong foundation in this transition. Denmark is also continuing its technology leadership in offshore wind with plans to build two energy islands, gathering the electricity generated by surrounding offshore wind farms and distributing it further. The planned North Sea energy island could be expanded to up to 10 GW. A second energy island on the natural Baltic Sea Island Bornholm will host 2-3 GW of offshore wind capacity and will be connected to Denmark and Germany. In the future energy islands could serve as locations for electricity storage or the production of renewable hydrogen.

windeurope.org/annual2023/

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13th International Exhibition of Railway Technology

28 – 30 March 2023

Lille Grand Palais, France

Exhibition area to discover the latest innovations in products and technologies • A comprehensive programme of activities to foster your network

• Conferences on the key topics and future trends of the industry

• On-track display showcasing rail-mounted vehicles in real life

• NEW: SIFER Innovation Hub presenting start-ups with innovative and creative solutions

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