CASE STUDY
Chemical Tank Refurbishment
OVERVIEW
A chemical carrier belonging to a major shipping company had one of their vessels inspected in Singapore and it was found that the tank top areas of their chemical tanks, which had previously been coated with a phenolic epoxy system, had severely detached.
CHALLENGE
Grit blasting could not be used due to the location of the vessel at quayside. The project also had to be completed within one week to allow the vessel to pick up cargo within the chartering time.
SOLUTION
Water-jetting (800-1000 bar) to WJ-2 standards was selected as the surface preparation method to be utilised. One stripe coat of solvent-free, rust tolerant Epo-chem™ RE 500P was then applied on a rusty surface, followed by one full coat of Epo-chem™ RE 500P. To complete the coating system, two full coats of solvent-free, glassflake epoxy topcoat Epo-chem™ RW 500 was applied.
OUTCOME
The work program was successfully completed in 5 days and was overseen by Chemco Singapore’s technical department. Substantial time and cost savings were achieved to the satisfaction of the owners. The fast post curing was seen as a major advantage of this system. All cargo tanks were completed to class standard and certified accordingly.
BENEFITS
• Solvent-free
• Excellent chemical and high temperature resistance
• No grit blasting
• Fast-curing and quick over-coating (faster application)
• Reduced contract duration and downtime
• Reduced H&S and Fire Precaution
• No major delays
• Ease of decontamination (no cargo contamination)
• High gloss finish
Before Application
Completed Application
