Stretching the Life-Cycle Span of Bridge Coating Systems With Tnemec Company

KANSAS CITY, MO, Mar 24 (MARKET WIRE) --
Over the last three decades, industrial maintenance coating systems used
to protect steel bridges from corrosion have improved dramatically as
alkyd paints containing lead and chromate have been replaced by advanced
technology primers and topcoats.

Among the coatings that provide long-term corrosion protection for steel
are fluoropolymers, which have been used as topcoats on bridges in Japan
since the mid-1980s, and more recently in the U.S. "The Japanese Ministry
of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has determined that the life-cycle
cost of fluoropolymer coatings is much lower than that of comparative
coatings," according to Winn Darden, business manager for AGC Chemicals
Americas and author of dozens of papers and presentations for the Society
for Protective Coatings (SSPC) and the National Association of Corrosion
Engineers (NACE). "In Japan, a minimum service life of 30 years is
expected and fluoropolymer topcoats are required to be used on all
bridges."

"The chemical bonds found in fluoropolymers are strong enough where
they're not broken by ultraviolet (UV) light," Darden explained. "When a
coating chalks, its chemical bonds are being broken down by UV radiation.
But because the chemical bonds are so strong in fluoropolymer coatings,
that degradation doesn't occur, resulting in longer color and gloss
retention. For the bridge designer, fluoropolymer topcoats open the
possibility of doing more aesthetically pleasing things with color than
have traditionally been done."

This was true in Topeka, Kan., where the outside beams of the 3,375-foot
Topeka Boulevard Bridge were coated red using Tnemec's high-solids
fluoropolymer, Fluoronar. "The project's engineer knew enough about the
color red to realize that he didn't want to see the bridge turn pink over
time," recalled Tnemec coating consultant Rick Penner. "After searching
for the best performing coating in terms of gloss and color retention, he
determined that fluoropolymer technology was best suited for the
application."

The exterior beams for the Topeka Boulevard Bridge were shop-primed with
an organic zinc, Tneme-Zinc, which was chosen for its ease of application
and ability to be touched up on the job site. The beams also received an
intermediate coat of an aliphatic acrylic polyurethane, Endura-Shield II,
before the Fluoronar topcoat was applied.

In western Pennsylvania, the galvanic protection capabilities of another
highly durable Tnemec coating system are still evident on three steel
bridges after more than 23 years. Professional, third-party inspection of
the Windgap Bridge in Allegheny County indicate that additional years of
service life can be expected from the three-coat system consisting of a
shop-applied prime coat of Tneme-Zinc; an epoxy tie-coat of F.C. Typoxy;
and a topcoat of an aliphatic polyester polyurethane.

ABOUT TNEMEC

Established in 1921, Tnemec is one of the largest privately held companies
in the U.S., specializing in industrial coatings for steel, concrete and
other substrates for new construction and maintenance. More than 120
architectural and industrial coating products are manufactured at
facilities in Kansas City and Baltimore. Headquartered in Kansas City,
Tnemec operates distribution facilities in Atlanta, Dallas, Denver,
Houston, Indianapolis, New Orleans, Seattle and Compton, Calif. In
addition to the company's national network of technical representatives,
Tnemec has technical representatives in Canada, the Dominican Republic,
England, Puerto Rico and Trinidad. For more information on Tnemec
Company, Inc. or any of its products, call 800-863-6321; write to 6800
Corporate Drive, Kansas City, Mo. 64120-1372; or visit www.tnemec.com.

Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=944070

Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=944075

Contact:
Jessi Bixler
(816) 483-3400

Copyright 2009, Market Wire, All rights reserved.

-0-