Chemically Bonded Phosphate Ceramics, A New Approach to Stop Corrosion
Robert Crain
Most corrosion preventative products designed for industrial use on steel, utilize a variety of organic polymer chemistries to form an impenetrable barrier to moisture, oxygen and contaminates that protects the underlying steel substrate. Epoxy and polyurethane coatings are examples of organic polymers that are quite often used to prevent corrosion in industrial environments. When applied correctly, they perform well for a reasonable period of time. The downside of organic coatings however, is that they are known to produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs), hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), can be quite flammable, produce toxic emissions when ignited and can damage the earth’s ozone layer. As with all protective barrier coatings, once the protective barrier is breached, corrosion can form rapidly. Also, all organic carbon based substances have a limited and predictable useful lifespan. Chemically Bonded Phosphate Ceramics (CBPCs) were developed to address the shortcomings of the organic polymer barrier coating. CBPCs are 100% inorganic materials, with zero VOC, zero HAPs, non-flammable and with zero flame spread. They contain no solvents or anything that can burn. And the best part is their outstanding ability to prevent corrosion of steel in severe industrial environments. A CBPC is a plural component product formed by chemically reacting an acid phosphate (Part A) with an alkaline metal oxide (Part B). Multiple chemical reactions take place almost instantly. CBPCs protect the steel substrate by way of a complex passivation of the carbon steel substrate. A chemically formed ceramic layer is simultaneously formed that protects the passivated steel and provides abrasion resistance and durability. The all-ceramic layer also exhibits self-healing characteristics and continuously “feeds” the passivation layer with phosphating corrosion inhibitors. CBPCs can easily exceed 15,000 hours of salt fog testing, far surpassing the performance of the best organic protective coatings. Since the CBPC reaction of the acidic and alkaline components occurs so quickly, the return to service is fast and swift making long down times for restoration a thing of the past. CBPC’s can also be combined with other advanced coating technologies such as hydrophobic siloxanes to improve overall performance even further. 1+1 = 3 so to speak. CBPCs are easy to use, environmentally friendly, are inherently safe and provide unparalleled corrosion protection to any steel substrate.