Steam and Oil-Resistant Epoxy Protective Coatings for Structural Steel

Structural steel and metal equipment used in refineries, fertilizer plants, power plants, food processing units, and other chemical industries are continuously exposed to steam, oils, greases, and corrosive atmospheres. To ensure long-term protection and performance, epoxy-based protective coatings are widely used due to their excellent chemical resistance, adhesion, and durability.

Barrier Protection Against Moisture and Oils

Epoxy protective coatings form a dense, cross-linked film that acts as a strong barrier against moisture, steam penetration, mineral oils, hydraulic oils, and industrial lubricants. When properly formulated with high-performance epoxy coatings exhibit low permeability, preventing corrosion under insulation and metal degradation.

Heat Resistance in Steam Environments

For environments exposed to steam, different heat-resistant epoxy systems can be formulated to maintain coating integrity at high temperatures and prevent blistering and softening. Their strong adhesion to structural metal and carbon steel ensures long service life even under cyclic thermal stress.

Critical Surface Preparation Requirements

For good adhesion, epoxy bonding surfaces should be clean, dry, and sanded.

Clean epoxy bonding surfaces must be free of any contaminants such as grease, oil, wax, or mold release. The more thorough the degree of surface preparation (as per SSPC standard), the better the performance of the application.

Oil and Grease Resistance

In oil-handling areas, epoxy coatings provide excellent oil and grease resistance, preventing swelling, staining, and loss of mechanical strength. When specially studied and formulated with abrasion-resistant properties, these coatings also protect against mechanical wear in industrial service conditions.

Key Benefits of Epoxy Protective Coatings:

Dense, cross-linked barrier protection
Excellent resistance to steam, oils, and greases
Low permeability preventing corrosion under insulation
Heat resistance for high-temperature environments
Strong adhesion to structural steel and carbon steel
Abrasion resistance for mechanical wear protection

Cost-Effective Solution for Industrial Environments

Overall, epoxy protective coatings offer a cost-effective and reliable solution for protecting structural metal against steam, oils, and harsh industrial environments, significantly extending asset life and reducing maintenance costs.

About the Author

Mr. Deepak Gaikwad

Mr. Deepak Gaikwad is active in the field of high performance epoxy coatings with outstanding chemical and heat resistance. He has on hands experience in all phases of products life cycle like formulation, scaling up to production scale, quality control, validation by customer etc. He has also done valuable development work for jewellery and ornamental wax formulation and his product has attained a reputation in the market.