It is estimated that corrosion of major structures and equipment, through inadequate protection, costs the UK over £10 billion a year (5% of GNP). Networkrail, owners of the Forth railway bridge, in conjunction with a major paint company used techniques, which were pioneered for the protection of North Sea oilrigs.
The UK coatings industry has built up an enviable expertise in making high performance coatings – in liquid form and as heat-cured coating powders – for a wide variety of tasks. For example, anti-fouling coatings for the hulls of ships, with formulations that enable ships to proceed efficiently. A hair’s breadth special smooth coating on the propulsion screw of a typical tanker can save over £300,000 on its annual fuel costs.
And every such saving to the user means a bonus to the environment not only in big reductions in greenhouse gases but also in prolonging the life of our dwindling world stocks of fuel.
The technique of Powder Coating has a growing position in the industry, giving the benefits of using solvent-free products in the workplace are a growing feature of the coatings industry’s output.
