12 ANTI-CORROSION
Protection against marine
corrosion
AN 'ANTI-CORROSION' REVIEW
Surface coating system for sheet steel
piling
In January of this year, Alhveather Evode Paints Ltd. were
approached by Rendel, Palmer & Tritton, consulting engineers,
who wanted a protective surface coating system for the steel
sheet piling forming the walls of the new dry dock at East
Twin Island, Belfast.
This dry dock, constructed for the Belfast Harbour Com-
missioners, is capable of accepting tankers up to 200,000 tons
d.w.
Driving of the steel piles forming the permanent walls of
the dock had commenced in 1966, and the dock had also been
flooded with sea-water during the latter construction stages.
T h e exposed faces of the piles were appreciably rusted and
ground water seeping through the interlocks of the piles had
given rise to a heavy moisture condition on part of the surface.
In some areas, a film of water was running down the faces of
the piles.
Representatives of Rendel, Palmer & Tritton visited the
Alhveather Evode Laboratory, at Gillingham, where some
simulation tests were carried out on wet steel plates, using
standard moist surface grade paints manufactured by All-
weather Evode Paints Ltd. These initial tests were promising,
and the consulting engineers then arranged for larger trial.
applications on selected areas of the walls of the dry dock.
T h e trials, in mid-January, were successful, and arrangements
for the painting of the walls were put in hand. Charles Brand
& Son Ltd. were the main contractors, and Seaguard Ltd.
their sub-contractors for the painting work.
May 1969
T h e complete painting of the dry dock has now been com-
pleted by the following method:
The steel was shot-blasted at night, and followed the next
morning by an application of one coat of Evo-led quick drying
red lead primer, applied by brush. In areas where running
water was encountered, this was diverted by means of a rubber
squeegee to enable the Evo-led to be applied to a moist but
comparatively water-free surface. After 24 hours, a coat of
Pitan moist surface chlorinated rubber undercoat was applied
and, after a further 24 hours, a coat of Pitan moist surface
chlorinated rubber finisher was applied.
The job was scaffolded in sections which were covered by
tarpaulin sheeting. During cold weather, three propane blower
heaters were equally spaced at the base of the scaffolding to
assist in the drying of the coatings.
T o meet the programme for ship docking, this painting
project was carried out in late February and the first half
of March under, at times, unfavourable weather conditions.
Two-pack oil resisting coating
Since the introduction of the Camrex non-oxidising preservative
range of coatings in 1906, steady progress has been made in
formulations of many grades to cover a wide range of marine
application. The most popular grades for ballast tank conser-
vation, numbers 5 and 5H, have been responsible for the suc-
cessful protection of many millions of tons of commercial
shipping over the years, and to this range has now been added
the two-pack oil resisting Camrex N.O.P. Grade Number 6.
This material was developed primarily for the protection of
ballast tanks adjacent to oil fuel tanks, and other tanks liable to
occasional oil contamination, through fractures commonly
experienced in a larger type of O.B.O. vessels, and also in
ballast tanks of tankers where heavy oil contamination is
experienced at terminal ports.
Originally, tanks of this nature had to be protected with a
resinous type of coating, and it was found in service that
maintenance of these tanks, using this type of coating, was a
costly venture, as the expected life of these resinous types of
coatings was only in the region of 6-8 years in practice.
As Camrex non-oxidising preservative has shown over the
past half-century that it can protect ballast and void compart-
ments for the enitre life of the vessel, with only nominal main-
tenance in the way of mechanical damage, welding, etc.,
shipowners demanded a more lasting coating than the resinous
types being advocated for these contaminated locations. To
this end Camrex Research Division, after exhaustive testings
cycles, developed this new grade number 6 of Camrex N.O.P.
Camrex Non-Oxidising Preservative Grade Number 6, is
cold applied, and can be applied by airless spray or brush to
adequately prepared surfaces. No expensive preparation by
shot/grit-blasting is necessary and the coating, when properly
14 ANTI-CORROSION
applied to a film thickness of 20mils (500µ), can relieve ship-
owners of any further costs for ballast tank conservation for
many years.
Camrex Camkote Grade 'N' is a new coating developed
specifically for protection in chemical/solvent carriers. The
advantage of this coating being its resistance to many variations
of cargoes, a factor which chemical/solvent carrier owners will
no doubt appreciate.
Lead pigments in anti-corrosive paints
Red lead is one of the oldest anti-corrosive pigments and,
despite the development of modern materials, is till the standard
with which other anti-corrosive paints are compared. Much red
lead is still used in oil-based media in paints to BS 2523:1966,
and on poorly prepared steel these give the best performance.
However, red lead is being used in such quick-drying media as
alkyd resins, epoxy resins and chlorinated rubber.
Calcium plumbate is the newest of the lead anti-corrosive
pigments. It has similar anti-corrosive properties to red lead,
but, because of its colour, light-coloured primers can be
produced. Rustodian, manufactured by Associated Lead
Manufacturers Ltd., is an oil-based calcium plumbate paint,
but quick-drying primers are available. Calcium plumbate
paints have the unique property of having good adhesion to
galvanized steel.
Basic lead sulphate is used in anti-corrosive coatings on the
underwater portions of a ship's hull. Media based on phenolic
resins or on chlorinated rubber are generally used. Primers
based on basic lead sulphate have been used by the Admiralty
for many years.
Approximately 20 years ago, however, following work carried
out by BISRA, a number of formulations were proposed for
underwater protective paints. Since that time, paints to several
of these formulations have been used for the protection of naval
vessels and for ships of the Merchant Navy.
Basic lead sulphate has also been tried successfully as a
component of primers for the protection of steel structures
exposed to normal weathering conditions.
Paint to formulation 173 complies with the composition
requirements of Defence Specification DEF-1165. This paint
is principally used by the British Admiralty for the corrosion
protection of the underwater sections of ships' hulls. It is
normally supplied as a multi-coat system and is followed by a
coat of anti-fouling composition.
Paint to formulation 655 complies with the composition
requirements of Defence Specification DEF-1441. Unlike
paint to Specification DEF-1165 it is normally used for the
initial protection of the hulls of new ships, where the plates
have previously been shot-blasted and coated with a suitable
primer. This primer is normally selected so as not to interfere
with subsequent welding of the plates.
Helmsman paint and marine corrosion
In the fight against marine corrosion, some notable contribu-
tions have been made by the Helmsman Paints division of the
old-established firm A. Sanderson & Co. Ltd., of Hull.
One of their most effective products is Kurust, a paint con-
taining phosphoric acid and very fine particles of metallic
lead. This product, which is used in the yachting industry, as
well as commercially, has the advantage that it can be applied
over existing rust, without it being necessary to grit-blast or
otherwise rub down to bare steel.
Providing a thin film of rust is present, a good wire brushing
is all the preparation necessary. The Kurust is applied like an
ordinary paint, and neutralises the rust, at the same time provid-
ing a protective layer of electrolytically active lead to protect
the steel in case of scratches in the future. After drying varnish
May 1969
overnight a wash with Kurust Wash or methylated spirit will
remove any Kurust splashes on surrounding paintwork and
wood (it only dries on rusty metal), and the surface is then
ready for subsequent recoating. Helmsman recommend follow-
ing the Kurust by a coat of metal primer, and then one can
polyurethane undercoat and enamel, which will protect the
whole scheme with its hardness and impermeability.
One of the difficulties encountered when protecting the
underwater surfaces of steel craft is that of fouling. Many
marine organisms, barnacles and serpulae are particularly bad
offenders, though they obtain no nourishment from the surface
to which they are attached, send down roots or cut in with
their shells, and penetrate the protective coating. The only
remedy to this is an effective anti-fouling, and Helmsman
Paints have secured a large share of the yacht market with
their Coppercruise and Raceclean range.
Coppercruise is a composition containing a high proportion
of electrolytically active copper and graphite in addition to
another poison, T.B.T.O., that has been found equally effective
in salt water or fresh. In the sea, which acts as the electrolyte,
the copper forms poisonous salts and around the British coast
has remained clean and free of weed for as long as seven months
during the summer. It is interesting to note that Coppercruise
has been used on the 'Teignmouth Electron', potentially the
fastest vessel now racing round the world for the Sunday
Times Golden Globe.
After application, Coppercruise can be burnished to remove
brush marks, but this is hard work, so, for racing yachts,
where a really smooth bottom is essential, Helmsman make a
paint known as Raceclean. This is similar to Coppercruise,
but contains a higher proportion of graphite, which enables a
smoother surface to be obtained and polished to give a splen-
didly smooth anti-fouling finish.
Aluminium is being more and more used for ship construc-
tion, and at the famous yard of Camper & Nicholsons, Britain's
first all-welded aluminium ocean racing yacht is now being
built. Aluminium presents several corrosion problems, especially
when used with anti-fouling containing copper and other
metallic salts. Good insulation can be achieved by using a
suitable primer, and Helmsman manufacture a zinc chromate
primer for aluminium and its alloys.
Protective paint coatings
The fight against corrosion is a continuous problem, but, thanks
to the paint manufacturer, the effectiveness of protective paint
coatings to keep corrosion in check is progressively improving.
May 1969 ANTI-CORROSION 15

Research laboratories continue to concentrate on the production

of new materials, or variations on existing materials, that will
save the shipowner money in costly steel renewals. Working
parallel with this research on new products the laboratories of
International Red Hand Marine Coatings, PO Box 332,
Grosvenor Gardens House, London SW1, have also concen-
trated their efforts on producing high-build materials in order
that the same film thickness can be obtained in fewer coats,
thus effecting a saving in application costs.
A product introduced by International Red Hand Marine
Coatings is their Vinux system. With the steadily increasing
size of new vessels, particularly bulk carriers and tankers,
shipowners are finding it more and more difficult to carry out
the necessary paint maintenance with the limited number of
crew which these ships carry. It is not surprising, therefore,
that they look to high-performance coatings to provide the
solution to this problem. Certain of these coatings are already
well established among shipowners and shipyards.
The two principal types of high-performance coatings used
above water at the moment are epoxides and chlorinated rubber,
although many alternatives and combinations exist. Properly
applied under controlled conditions, and in suitable weather,
both types of coating will give excellent results. Unfortunately
in north European climates such conditions seldom exist, and
difficulties in application are often encountered despite the
normal precautions that may be taken. Even when satisfactory
initial application conditions exist, it often becomes difficult
to maintain the ships in service when repainting occurs in
unfavourable weather conditions, or at ports where skilled
labour is not available to carry out remedial work.
The Vinux system has been developed to provide the ship-
owner with a coating system which will give long life and the
benefits of easy maintenance, taking into account the various
difficulties that occur in the painting of ships. It is designed to
give all-round practical performance where maintenance time
is limited due to trading conditions and crew restrictions.
The Vinux paints are based on a blend of vinyl resins forti-
fied by other specialised resins. Both primer and finishes are
fully compatible. The primer is formulated to give a good film
build without sagging. Despite the increased film build, it has
excellent through-drying properties. The resins on which
the paints are based are noted for their toughness, resilience
and abrasion resistance. They have excellent exterior durability,
colour and gloss retention, with maximum water resistance.
The paints have been used extensively in Scandinavia under
extreme weather conditions with complete success.
The Vinux system gives a tough, abrasion resistant film and
can be used throughout the above-water area such as boottop,
topsides, decks, superstructure, etc. An important feature of
Vinux coatings is that they do not depend on temperature for
curing and can, therefore, be used in temperature conditions
below 0°C, providing, of course, that ice is not present on the
surface. They are also touch dry in one hour even at these low
temperatures and can, therefore, if necessary, be over-coated
more quickly than other high-performance coatings.
Because long life coatings eliminate the expense of frequent
repainting of the whole boottop and topsides, etc., touching up
odd spots such as damaged areas often results in an unsightly
patchwork appearance. Vinux, however, has excellent colour
retention, consequently, the original colour is maintained so
that patching of damaged areas is not visibly prominent. In
addition to colour, the initial gloss is retained for a prolonged
period-and chalking does not occur.
Even though the initial costs of a Vinux scheme showed an
initial saving when compared to other high-performance
coatings, such as epoxides, the economy becomes more apparent
when subsequent finishing coats are added at regular main-
tenance intervals. Most owners requiring a long life durable
coating will expect to apply one coat per year to maintain a
clean and fresh appearance and, in this respect, the cost of one
16 ANTI-CORROSION May 1969

coat of Vinus finish will prove more economical than one coat
of epoxide, for example.
High-Build Silver Primocon is an example of the develop-
ment of a well-tried product now produced as a high-build
coating to reduce costs of application.
Standard Silver Primocon has a reputation of being one of
the finest underwater primers ever produced and holds this
reputation throughout the world. It was realised, therefore, that
a high-build version of the universal product must be equal to,
or better than, its thinner counterpart in performance and
durability at equivalent thickness.
Results have shown that Silver Primocon High Build has
surpassed all expectations in this respect even to the extent in
certain cases of improved performance over two-pack epoxides
as an underwater protective.
It is recommended that Silver Primocon High Build is
applied as a two-coat scheme at a dry film thickness of 4mils/
coat, to give a total dry film thickness of 5mils.
Silver Primocon High Build dries to an extremely tough film
and has no tendency to brittleness. It also has the advantage
of being a one-pack material with no overcoating problems.
their interest in the field of marine corrosion. They have intro-
T h e metallic pigmentation allied to a special bituminous medium
duced the application of two of their products, Limpetite 'A'
forms an exceptionally tough film, impervious to water. This
and 'B', for the protection of ship hull exteriors and interiors
resistance to the ingress of water, combined with excellent
from marine corrosion under extreme conditions, over very
adhesion to the substrate, ensures maximum protection against
long periods of time.
corrosion, preserves a smooth, hull surface for long periods,
and reduces skin friction to a minimum. Fig. 1 shows one of the Trewes Clipper Class of steel sea-
going yachts, eight of which, in the last 12 months, have been
Like Silver Primocon High Build, Intuf is a development of a externally sheathed with 0·030in of Limpetite 'A' to ensure
standard product. For many years, Episeal red lead has been complete corrosion protection for the life of the vessel. Some of
used successfully, being based on the rust inhibitive qualities the vessels are also coated on the inaccessible parts of the
of red lead, coupled with the tough epoxy ester resins to make interiors. Present experience indicates the life of these coatings,
a quick drying, above-water, anti-corrosive steel primer. excluding mechanical damage, is well in excess of 25 years.
Episeal is normally applied as a two-coat scheme followed by Many of the owners of these particular vessels, people of
the appropriate undercoat and finish. several different nationalities, are spending their retirement
Intuf has been introduced as a one-coat above-water system, touring the world in these boats, and have chosen Limpetite
to replace the normal two-coat priming scheme, where airless to ensure complete freedom from corrosion problems, which
spray is available so that advantage can be taken of the saving could be so costly and, in the long run, disastrous, basically
in labour cost. Also, due to the Factory Act restrictions on upon the grounds of (a) complete freedom from corrosion
spraying internally, Intuf is available in a lead-free variety. troubles and (b) long-term economic investment.
If, however, during the course of painting, it is desired to
discontinue airless spraying, or it is found that airless spraying This is a development in the pure corrosion aspect, when
is not practicable, Intuf can be also applied at about half the compared to the earlier application of these Limpetite products
film thickness by brush or roller as a two-coat scheme. for the protection of hulls of wooden ships, a large number of
which have been so sheathed in the last eight years, principally
Intuf has been formulated to give excellent through-drying for the purpose of protecting vessels from the ravages of marine
properties, and overcoating of the high-build film is possible, borers and maintaining complete water-tightness of the hull,
even in cold weather, after 24 hours' drying. both of which are especially important in tropical waters.
T h e activities of this company are already widely known in
the industrial field for the use of their coatings for the protection
Limpetite anti-corrosion lining of chemical plant against extremes of corrosion, and, more
Protective Rubber Coatings (Bristol) Ltd., Payne's Shipyard, particularly, for their work in coating condenser water boxes,
Coronation Road, Bristol 3, manufacturers of liquid applied tube plates, valves, pumps, etc. in the electricity generating
air cured synthetic rubber coatings, have recently widened industry.