Anti-corrosion coatings act as a barrier between a metal and its environment. The reason behind using anti-corrosion coatings is to increase the durability and lifespan of the metal.

The estimated global cost of metal corrosion damage, not taking into consideration the downtime costs, is billions of pounds a year.

The positive news for you, you have found this page – which ultimately means better protection for your metals and less downtime. Corrosion can be prevented if you act proactively rather than reactively. And choosing the right anti-corrosion coating from the start.

To determine the right anti-corrosion coating for your project, it is important to factor in the environment and type of metal. Whether corrosion is due to moisture, chemicals, salt spray, or oxidation, anti-rust coatings for steel and metal can help protect the substrate from the elements.

In this Alphatek blog, we are going to explore the main types of anti-corrosion coatings, and which one will be best applicable for your project and industry.

What Are Anti-Corrosion Coatings?

Anti-corrosion coatings protect metal components from degradation due to moisture, salt spray, oxidation, or exposure to a variety of environmental or industrial chemicals in a range of industries.

The Three Types of Anti-Corrosion Coatings

Sacrificial:

  • The type of paint binder and additive content used determines the extent of corrosion protection.
  • These coatings, even if worn or damaged, remain effective (unlike barrier coatings).
  • To protect the material below, these coatings act as an additive, sacrificially corroding.

Inhibitive:

  • Over the substrate, a passive layer is formed by a porous coating.
  • With primers that are overcoated, this is regularly used. (These types of coatings are frequently utilized in primers that are overcoated because of the significant reduction, over time, of their corrosive protection.)
  • As the inhibitive coating is penetrated, it reacts with humidity and metal.

Barrier:

  • The substrate beneath is unprotected if the barrier is worn or damaged.
  • To protect the barrier, additional film or coating is often required.
  • Though a nonporous, protective layer is offered here, the lifespan of the protection is significantly affected by the solid content and film thickness.

How To Determine Which Anti-Corrosion Coating To Use

To determine the right type of anti-corrosion coating for your project, you need to understand the environment. Particularly its exposure to water, moisture, and other aggressive substances that might be present in the environment.

The standard divides the degree of corrosion. 1-5. Here’s a brief outline for you:

  • 1 – Very Low Corrosion Risk

Heated buildings with clean air, interiors only. Suitable for: offices, schools, hotels, shops and other heated premises.

  • 2 – Low Corrosion Risk

Unheated buildings, rural areas. Suitable for: storage facilities, sports halls, garages, barns and other unheated buildings.

  • 3 – Moderate Corrosion Risk

Buildings with high humidity, urban and industrial areas. Suitable for: laundries, breweries, kitchens, food processing sites and other buildings with moderate humidity.

  • 4 – High Corrosion Risk

Manufacturers and swimming baths, industrial and coastal areas. Suitable for: industrial buildings, chemical plants, swimming pools, ports, plant machinery and side loaders. Perfect to protect the machinery that is stored outside.

  • 5 – Very High Corrosion Risk

Buildings with almost permanent condensation, offshore and industrial areas. Suitable for: Water pipes and other industrial applications. Offshore and marine sites.

Alphatek: Coating Specialist

Corrosion is a silent killer for components and must be tackled before the damage is done. 

There is always a need to achieve more with less in any industry, and companies cannot afford to lose equipment and infrastructure to corrosion. 

Therefore, Anti-corrosion coatings like fluoropolymers have, in recent times, taken centre stage to rage the war against corrosion.

Here at Alphatek, we have a combined over 100 years of cumulative coating expertise in house. We have experienced several projects, industry-specific over the years, check out our case studies.

Working closely with our customers, we have developed our products and services to deliver the best value, anti-corrosion coatings solutions, first time, every time and with a stress-free service that suits everyone.

Contact Us

For Metal Spraying and Thermal Spray Coating specialists, look no further than us, Alphatek. You can call us directly on 01706 821021, or you can email us at postbox@alphatek.co.uk.

Alternatively, if you’d like to visit us we are located 20 miles north of Manchester. Just be wary of our opening times.