Protective coatings as an integral part of installation

Corrosion technology in the years leading up to the Sixties developed at a relatively slow pace but the past ten years has seen a fast increasing rate of progress. There is today a new awareness amongst industry of the need to protect capital equipment and to maximise the life expectancy of costly industrial, petrochemical and maritime installations. Almost without exception, production companies now appreciate that corrosion prevention is cheaper than cure. Unprotected surfaces are an anachronism and no responsible engineer would allow erosion of effectiveness of productive plant for the want of the application of a specialised coating system. Anti‐corrosive protective coatings applied at construction stage can ensure that the full useful life cycle is achieved and the day of replacement postponed often far beyond the forecast date.