Product & Profile










Active Rust Primer 662 SG (an ENVIRO-COAT 2000 product)

Waterborne primer causes stir in shipping market

Can Active Rust Primer 662 SG change established ways of thinking? It looks like it can. Some 2.000.000 m2 of ship's steel has been painted with waterborne Active Rust Primer 662 SG over the past 8 years, with eye-opening results. A new type of polymer technology is merging.
"Berge Stahl", 365.000 bulk carrier, c/o Bergesen dy ASA, Oslo. Using Active Rust Primer 662 SG in touch-up work in the ballast tanks

HARSH ENVIRONMENTS
Around 300 ships, operated by Bergesen dy ASA, Høegh Fleet Services AS., Frontline Ltd., V-Ships, Golar LNG, Barber Ship Management, Beltship, Red Band, Fred Olsen & Co., IUM Shipmanagement, JJ Ugland Companies, Solvang ASA, Kr. Gerh. Jebsen Skipsrederi AS, Westfal-Larsen Management AS and Seatrans ANS have tested and subsequently become regular users of Active Rust Primer 662 SG. Where? In ballast tanks, in various wet rooms, on demanding outside surfaces and so forth. More and more ships are incorporating this primer into their maintenance systems.

Wet surfaces
Active Rust Primer 662 SG (under label of the ENVIRO-COAT 2000 products) has proven its quality as an outstanding base coat within existing paint systems. New polymer technology has produced highly reactive binders which ensure good penetration and adhesion properties. The primer offers a remarkable combination of hardness and elasticity, but its two most important characteristics are that it works well in wet environments (the curing process effectively removes moisture from the steel), and that it reacts chemically with surface rust to render it inactive.

Enhanced salt tolerence
Paint coats can normally handle up to 50 mg of salt per square meter. It is when salt concentrations exceed this level that the greater problems occur. Tests show that even after hosing down with fresh water, concentrations significantly higher than this are common on rough surfaces. When a highly-fluid water-based primer penetrates surface cavities, it is presumed that water-soluble salts are reduced and rust formation is inhibited. Test panels with moisture and salts applied and then placed in a condensation chamber display conspicuous differences with and without primer in the system.



More Experiences
The first coatings applied to water ballast tanks were done on the Bergesen d.y. ships Havmann and Havprins (formerly Havtor) in 1994. These tanks had presented problems on these ships, and superintendent Tore Thomassen was willing to try Active Rust Primer 662 SG as the primer coat under two coats of epoxy (International Paint). The ballast tanks on the Havprins were first cleaned to St2 - SA1.0 specifications. After coating, they were inspected regularly, with the last inspection taking place at the beginning of this summer when the ship went into drydock. The shipping company finds the results excellent. They started using this water-based primer on other ships in 1994 and 1995, and it is now used regularly in their maintenance operations. Today, 40 Bergesen dy. ships use Active Rust Primer 662 SG.
Høegh Gandria (LNG carrier) c/o Leif Høegh Co, Oslo: no more sandblasting with Active Rust Primer 662 SG aboard.

The Prinsesse Ragnhild (ferry Oslo - Kiel) c/o Color Line, Oslo. Main truck deck was coated with Active Rust Primer 662 SG the autumn of 1996, with no top coat. The primer's combination of hardness and elasticity has proven ideal for this vessel.

Not a miracle cure
The primer does not work miracles. Thorough surface preparation is essential.
Loose rust and scale must be removed, and it is important to spray the surface with fresh water before applying the primer to remove loose particles and salt.On sound, brown steel surfaces ( moist or dry), the primer has an important function. The primer film "upgrades" the steel before the paint system is applied. After surface preparation, the first coat of primer secures the surface, and the rest of the painting job may then be planned in more detail. On outside work, once the primer coat has been applied, the rest of the job may be performed as weather permits. Active Rust Primer 662 SG is often used as the first coat after hydrojetting. It works just as well on clean steel, and it is not dependent on surface profiles for adhesion. Pull-off tests conducted on untreated steel using the P.A.T. hydraulic system showed averages of 14.1 MPa (approx. 140 kp/cm2).

Deck surfaces
Aboard the Høegh Gandria, no sandblasting has taken place since March 1995, when Active Rust Primer 662 SG was first brought aboard. Deck surfaces were hydrojetted at 700-800 bar and the surfaces sealed with one or two thin coats of primer prior to painting. The result was just as good as those previously obtained, according to the ship's officers.

Environmental benefits
Many other cases can also be cited. There is reason to believe that the contours of a new generation of water-based products able to meet industry standards of water-resistance and protection are now visible. In addition to the outstanding quality of the product, it also offers substantial environmental benefits. Active Rust Primer 662 SG is harmless at low VOC levels (66 g/litre) and very easy to use.
For more information, contact Nortrade AS.
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Above: Ballast tanks aboard "Ariel", 75000 tdw, c/o C.H. Sørensen & Sønner AS. Prior to surface preparation.

Above: Ballast tanks 2 years later. Prepared by hydrojetting 1200 bar, 2 coats of Active Rust Primer 662 SG and 2 coats of modified epoxy.