Sherwin-Williams Protective and Marine has announced its new line of Heat-Flex CUI-mitigation coatings to help mitigate the dangerous condition of corrosion under insulation (CUI).
The line includes Heat-Flex ACE (advanced CUI epoxy), which is an ultra-high-solids epoxy novolac developed with a functional chemical enhancement for CUI mitigation. In addition, three coatings featuring a high concentration of micaceous iron oxide (MIO) pigment round out the lineup, including Heat-Flex 750, Heat-Flex 1200 Plus and Heat-Flex 650.
Mark Rubio, energy business manager at Sherwin-Williams says: ‘The battle against CUI is never-ending, as coated steel encapsulated in insulation will inevitably corrode over time. Our goal is to mitigate that corrosion process for as long as possible, and we’ve developed some high-performance coatings that enable just that. For example, Heat-Flex ACE is the best product we’ve tested for long-term CUI mitigation. We anticipate it becoming a preferred specification solution as the industry gains experience with this enhanced CUI-mitigation system. We have also boosted the market’s CUI-mitigation capabilities for existing specifications with the three MIO-enhanced Heat-Flex coatings.’
All four Heat-Flex CUI-mitigation coatings have passed extensive lab testing and shown good to excellent performance in a variety of tests. These tests included:
- Heat cycling
- Simulated CUI
- BS EN 927-6:2016 erosion and dry film thickness (DFT)
- Tolerance testing for thermal resistivity
- Cryogenic testing
Heat-Flex ACE is formed from two-component, organic, ultra-high-solids epoxy novolac coating is solvent free. Being an ultra-high volume solids coating, Heat-Flex ACE reduces the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) making it better for the environment and reducing permitting costs for applicators.
The new Heat-Flex lineup of MIO-enhanced CUI-mitigation coatings includes:
- Heat-Flex 750
- Heat-Flex 1200 Plus
- Heat-Flex 650
