Corrosion is a natural phenomenon, but it can also be a dangerous and costly one. Luckily, it can also be controlled.
If you work in an industry where operations have been impacted by corrosion, you know how costly it can be. Corroding metal can lead to disastrous situations, which makes the cost almost unmeasurable. An amusement park ride in Ohio failed due to corrosion, killing one and injuring seven.1 While the effects of corrosion may not always be so extreme, they typically force companies to stop work and spend serious cash to repair or replace the corroded equipment.
Putting a Dollar Amount on Corrosion
Although the study is now almost 20 years old, the nation’s eyes were opened when the US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) released a study showing the estimated direct cost of corrosion to be $276 billion.2 The infrastructure, utilities, and transportation industries make up nearly $100 billion of that sum. While corrosion is natural, it’s also controllable. The coating and treatment of metals can go a long way in mitigating this expensive occurrence.
Control Corrosion with Coatings
Luckily, this massive cost isn’t uncontrollable. By adding a protective coat between the metal and its surrounding environment, corrosion can be prevented or slowed, at the very least. A coating that is applied properly can be a crucial layer of protection between a metal tank and the reactive chemicals it contains, the hull of a ship and seawater, an amusement park ride from wind and rain, and more.
Coatings: Not Just What, But How?
When it comes to controlling corrosion, it’s about more than simply adding a coating. It’s vital that the surrounding environment is ideal during the application of the coating. Before coating, it’s essential that the surface to be coated is cleaned of moisture and condensation, salts, oil, dust, or any other contaminants. The edges must be treated to improve the coating’s coverage and adhesion. But it’s not enough to treat the metal itself, proper application of a coating requires a controlled environment. High humidity and extreme temperatures can render coatings ineffective in preventing corrosion.
Polygon Provides Climate Solutions During Coating Application
Humidity and temperature can seriously hinder the effectiveness of coating a surface. During the day, metal absorbs heat before radiating it at night. That temperature fluctuation, combined with humidity, leads to condensation and interrupts the drying and curing processes. In more extreme cases, high levels of humidity could cause flash rust to form on the surface in less than an hour. By partnering with Polygon, you can confidently apply protective coatings knowing that the process will be backed by a proven engineered solution to maintain ideal temperatures and humidity levels. By taking the precautions necessary to perfect a coating application, your company can reduce repair and maintenance costs, complete projects more quickly, maximize the life of coated metals and prevent accidents.
Contact our team today to connect with a climate solution specialist from Polygon.
Sources
- DiGiacomo, Janet. “Deadly Accident at Ohio State Fair Caused by Corrosion, Says Ride Maker.” CNN. Cable News Network, August 8, 2017. https://www.cnn.com/2017/08/06/us/ohio-state-fair-ride-collapse/index.html.
- Koch, Gerhardus H, Michiel P.H. Brongers, Neil G Thompson, Y. Paul Virmani, and J.H. Payer. NACE.org, NACE.org §. Accessed May 13, 2020. http://impact.nace.org/documents/ccsupp.pdf.
