Epoxy coatings have long been the work horse for Maintenance and Protective Coatings (M&PC) due to their excellent corrosion resistance, excellent heat and chemical resistance, good mechanical properties, as well as excellent adhesion to various substrates1. The epoxy resins are typically based on bisphenol A diglycidyl either (BADGE), bisphenol F diglycidyl either, and epoxy phenol novolacs2; and they are usually very viscous in nature and therefore require a high volume of solvent to reduce the viscosity for easier application. There is a strong desire among participants throughout the M&PC value chain to reduce the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from these coatings. One hundred percent solids coatings are one route to meet that objective. Olin Epoxy has designed a 100% solids formulated epoxy and hardener system to meet this need. This paper documents the performance of this system against a well-known commercial benchmark for external pipe coating applications. Fully pigmented two component liquid pipe coating formulas will be described and modifications of the formula to meet different volume mixing ratios will also be discussed. Various performance aspects of experimental and commercial benchmarks will be compared, including pot life, Konig hardness, low temperature curing performance, dry time, and cathodic disbondment (CD) at elevated temperatures. CD test results at dry film thickness (DFT) above 30 mils (750 microns) and less than 20 mils (500 microns) are also discussed. The range of conditions under which this high solids system can be applied to achieve good performance will also be summarized.
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