Self-repairable zinc free WELDAble Anticorrosion PRIMEr for the steel protection

• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• Instagram

Corrosion of metals is one of the major issues in a number of metal industries with significant impacts and costs associated with it. Steel, especially carbon steel, is used widely in number of industry sectors, like the oil and gas, chemical, construction and marine industries. The protection of carbon steel against corrosion is critical not only in-use but also during transportation and storage at the steel yard. Zinc-based primers are the most commonly used method for corrosion protection of the steel, protecting the steel via sacrificial galvanic protection mechanisms. However, maintaining a balance between corrosion protection and weldability can be a challenge. Typically coatings thicker than 25-50 microns are necessary to achieve good protection against corrosion but this can lead to difficulties in the welding process due to the inability to strike a weld through the thick primer. Additionally, the incorporation of any organic materials from the coating in the weld or entrapment of zinc fumes and gas can make the weld porous and have a significant negative impact on weld quality. Thus, removal of the primer is often undertaken before welding, leading to an additional step and hence additional costs. In addition, by-products like zinc fumes from zinc-rich primers have a significant health hazard associated with them and can potentially lead to zinc fever for the welders. Overall, the use of traditional zinc-rich primers can lead to increased post-weld cleaning costs, reduced quality, greater rework, and an overall reduction in productivity. The WeldaPrime project aims to develop a primer which is zinc-free, has low organic content, and can be applied at a low enough thickness which can provide weld-through capability without affecting weld quality and yet provide adequate corrosion protection. For more information please see the project website: www.weldaprime.com