To prevent corrosion, a metal needs to be protected from water, chemicals, the environment, and the action of other corrosive influences. An effective coating solution has the right collection of qualities to provide sustained protection. Fusion bonded epoxy is one such coating colution.
The benefits of FBE coating include:
- Excellent adhesion to the substrate, providing long lasting corrosion protection
- Chemical and water resistance mean FBE coating can be used in a variety of environments – including soil and sour crude
- Abrasion and impact resistance protects the film from handling and stress damage
- It does not shield cathodic protection, allowing protection to continue even in the case of a coating failure – a ‘fail safe’ coating
- Leads to flow improvement when applied to pipe interiors, reducing friction and buildup when compared to concrete or uncoated pipe
The application process of FBE coating:
As with any coating application, the preparation of the substrate is paramount for a successful and effective coating application. FBE coating is a type of powder coating, and so heat is required to cause the dry powder to melt and flow over the substrate.
The main steps of the FBE coating process are outlined below:
- Surface preparation – To ensure the right surface profile for the coating, the substrate needs to be entirely free from oil and grease. It goes through a series of pre-treatment steps including abrasive blasting to near white metal, grinding of surface defects, and other cleaning and wash steps.
- Coating preparation – The powder coating process requires heat in order to form a smooth and seamless film. In FBE coating this heat is provided by the part being coated – it is preheated to the desired temperature before the coating is applied.
- Coating application and curing – Powder is applied through the fluidised bed method or through a spray gun application. The dry powder hits the heated part and melts and flows, coating the part and curing through a process of cross-linking.
