New membrane is barrier against corrosion
New membrane is barrier against corrosionKeywords: Urecoats Industries, Sealing, Coatings, Rubber
A Florida company has a new product made in part from recycled tyres that may offer many corrosion control applications.
Urecoats Industries Inc. of Pompano Beach, Florida, USA has developed the Urecoats 100 rubber sealant membrane (RSM), a coating that could have applications for different industries. RSM is composed of crumb rubber from recycled tyres, asphalt, urethanes, and other additives. The product has been tested on steel, wood, concrete, metal, and aluminium surfaces. Following a brief curing period that begins once the 200°F (93°C) liquid enters the atmosphere, the product becomes a 0.25-0.5 inch thick (6.4-12.7mm),seamless, flexible vapour barrier that adheres to the substrate and protects it from intrusion.
With a patent pending on its formula, the RSM has so far been used in roofing applications in Florida, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. It was applied by Urecoats licensed contractors using a proprietary mobile spray system.
The company, is, however, working to establish the expected service life of the RSM itself. "We are presently testing our product in an accelerated testing machine, where we are mimicking naturally occurring environmental elements – such as water, heat, and other natural circumstances occurring at extremes on an accelerated basis to determine an estimated service life for our product on various types of substrates", Larry Clemons says.
The coating is presently available only in black, although a line of coloured topcoats should eventually be available exclusively for the RSM. "We are in the process of expanding our laboratory and research and development efforts to develop the most optimal and best suited topcoat for our product with our own chemists", says Clemons. "Our aim is to use different coloured pigments for aesthetic reasons and increased UV protection … We will develop our own topcoats."
