SURFACE PREPARATION

Manual Preparation: Metal surfaces shall be prepared in accordance with Steel Structures Painting Council specification SSPC-SP2 or SSPC-SP3. Wire wheels, wire brushes, needle guns and scrapers may be used. Only tightly adhered rust and tightly adhered existing coatings may remain. Loose rust and loose coatings must be removed. Wash down with clean, fresh water prior to application. Allow to drain.

New Steel: All millscale must be removed by blasting to SSPC-SPC 10, near white prior to application.

 APPLICATION PROCEDURES FOR PLURAL COMPONENT SPRAYING

Start heating Corroless EP in the reservoirs long before coating operations start. We recommend at least 3 hours but the longer, the better.

When the components can be pumped easily, disconnect the product hoses from the mixing assembly and re-circulate heated material through the equipment and back into the heated reservoirs.

Use line heaters and in-line resistance heaters to bring product and equipment up to the specified temperature.
Note: In cold and/or windy weather insulate the exposed pumping equipment using cloth, loose foam or similar insulating material to reduce heat loss in this area. A cardboard shield against cold wind will also be beneficial.

When the pumps and hoses maintain a steady 130°F+ (check temperature by holding a thermometer in the re-circulating fluid as it falls back into the heated reservoirs), de-pressurize the system and re-connect to the mixing block.

Re-pressurize immediately and open spray gun trigger to allow fluid flow. This will heat up the mixing block, the whip hose and the gun.

A small amount of residual flush solvent will be forced from the block, whip and gun as mixed product begins to flow. The mixed product will be thick and cold for a very few minutes until the gun and whip gets hot. Then spray product into an empty bucket or shoot the epoxy onto the substrate and roll it out to avoid waste.

As the gun heats up, the spray fan will open up nicely and will remain good as long as spraying is maintained and heat continues to be provided.

When the reservoirs have to be replenished, it is helpful to add warm product if possible, to avoid chilling the reservoir material. By the same token, it is helpful to add small amounts of fresh product to the reservoirs rather than waiting until they are almost empty.

Once the entire apparatus is properly warmed and the in-line heaters are working correctly, there should be no noticeable thickening as new material is added.

Cleaning with MEK is necessary if the heated mixed product is left in the line for longer than, say, 5 minutes. Simply close off the heated components to the mixing block, open the MEK flush solvent and trigger the gun to purge the block, whip and gun. Continue purging until the MEK flows from the gun into the waste bucket. Start up the equipment again as described above for a cold unit.

 CURING

Because Corroless EP volume solids is 97%, it will cure underground or even under water. Total cure time takes about 7 days.

Backfill (Set-up) Guideline:

Add approximately 2 hours to times give in Section 5.6 Touch Dry Information. Corroless EP is suitable for backfilling as soon as the surface is hard to the touch when a shell has formed or thumb pressure applied in a pushing, twisting motion does not distort the coating surface. When backfilling, care must be taken so that the soil is not slung or dropped onto the pipe surface.

 MISCELLANEOUS

If substrate temperature is lower than ambient, extend set-up time by 1 hour for every 10° difference.

If substrate temperature is higher than ambient, decrease set-up time by 1 hour for every 10° difference.

Maximum temperature resistance is 175°F wet heat (buried pipe or assemblies) and 185°F dry heat (above ground).

Dielectric strength: 548 volts per mil.