Hempel launches organic zinc primer

Hempel claims its new Hempadur Avantguard 860 that uses innovative organic, zinc-rich primer coating technology has set new benchmarks for the coatings industry.

Avantguard zinc-rich primers are said to be ideal for harsh environments, such as on bridges, offshore oil platforms and coastal power plants, or any asset that faces humid and aggressive atmospheres.

Hempadur Avantguard 860 is said to deliver a step-change in performance, as it offers the same anticorrosive performance as zinc silicates with the same level of zinc content, but without the usual drawbacks – such as mud-cracking at a relatively high dry film thickness.

Hempel said as a result of this technology, only a short, one-hour over-coating interval is required, there is no need to apply a mist coat, and consequently there a boost to productivity.

Avantguard’s activated zinc-rich epoxy primer coating technology incorporates tiny hollow glass spheres and a special proprietary additive called an ‘activator’. Hempel said, it is because of these innovations that the coating provides galvanic, barrier and inhibitor protection.

The galvanic protection increases the zinc’s ability to carry the corrosion current, even if the zinc particles are not in direct contact, which is said to improve the steel’s corrosion protection.

The coating’s hollow glass spheres are also said to play a vital role in its performance. Firstly, they block the spread of micro-cracks, and contribute to the coating’s low permeability, and secondly, they actively inhibit corrosion.