Every year, trillions of dollars is spent to fight steel corrosion. And according to Harshad Gawande, Jotun’s Global Category Manager for Functional Powder Coatings, corrosion risk is higher for energy companies, especially those operating in aggressive environments. 

“In addition to costs related to maintenance, protecting steel can reduce risk of equipment failure that can lead to downtime, or worse, an accident,“ he says. “To help manage these challenges, Jotun has developed the industry’s first anti-corrosive powder coatings solution specifically engineered to protect steel used in the most extreme environments.” 

A Winning Combination   

The ISO 12944 standard specifies atmospheric corrosion categories from C1 (very low) to C5 (very high). In 2018, the standard was revised to include CX, a rating that applies to highly aggressive environments such as offshore assets exposed to high salinity, or industrial areas located in subtropical areas with extreme humidity. In 2023, Jotun introduced Jotun Primax Coating Solutions, a powder coatings system that is Qualisteel compliant and has been independently tested to meet ISO 12944 CX requirements.

“Primax Coating Solutions was engineered to protect steel used in critical machinery, such as generators, transformers, electrical cabinets, cranes, and other equipment operating in aggressive environments. The solution is a two-layer anti-corrosive steel protection system Involving primers and a premium topcoat, Jotun Super Durable. Jotun Super Durable has a proven track record of resisting extreme temperature fluctuations, high humidity, acid rain UV protection to retain colour and gloss in the building construction industry,” says Gawande. “Our assortment of primers, such as Primax Xtend and Primax Protect, have also been proven effective in other industries, but achieving a CX rating required a lot of work.” 

Documenting Performance 

Because surface preparation is critical to performance, Jotun primers have been independently tested using different surface cleaning methods and steel thickness. 

“We are the only coatings supplier which can provide third-party documentation for surfaces that are blast cleaned, galvanised or chemically treated with zinc phosphates,” he says. “We are also the only company that works with approved applicators to offer a product guarantee, supported by our dedicated technical support teams.” 

While Gawande acknowledges that the steel found in equipment or machinery represents a modest fraction of the steel used in any major on or offshore energy facility, he notes that using powder coatings to protect these critical assets also has environmental benefits. 

Environmental Benefits 

“The Worldsteel Association* estimated that steel production is responsible for between seven and nine per cent of global emissions, representing about 3.5 billion tonnes of CO₂  per year. Providing long term protection reduces the need for replacement steel, and because powder coatings is applied in controlled environments, the risk of application errors are eliminated. And for companies seeking to comply with emerging regulations on the use of VOCs, powder coatings are solvent free,” says Gawande.

According to Gawande, there is no anti-corrosive solution available to the market today that better protects critical machinery in aggressive environments. 

“There are other systems out there, but none of them have been independently rated CX or can offer technical, commercial and performance advantages of Jotun Primax Solutions,” he says, and adds “And we have the documentation to prove it.”

*https://worldsteel.org/climate-action/climate-change-and-the-production-of-iron-and-steel/#key-points-from-this-policy-paper 

For further information, contact harshad.gawande@jotun.com.