High Temperature Paint / Coatings

High Temperature coatings are specialized materials. These coatings

are designed for temperatures of 300-1400F. Selection depends upon
the temperature profile and type of substrate that is to be painted.
Understanding how they work and how to specify and apply them will
help to ensure proper service and eliminate such problems as
disbandment, discoloration and early failure.

BASICS

For high temperature applications, the coating system is expected to

retain its appearance and integrity while protecting metal substrates at
temperatures above (300F) (150C).

Related you can learn here: Air Plasma Spray Coating and Wear
Resistant Coatings
Conventional coatings, such as alkyds, use organic vehicles as pigments
binders. However, these vehicles may decompose under heat, and this
can cause premature failure.

To overcome this problem, high temperature coatings use heat

resistant resins. These resins compounds have excellent thermal
stability and resistance to oxidation. They are also essentially
transparent to, and resistant to degradation by ultraviolet radiation.

OPERATING CONDITIONS:

In specifying a high temperature coating system, the factors affecting

performance must first be assessed. In addition to temperature, these
include the nature of the substrate, its structure, stress due to thermal
cycling, weathering, surface preparation and application limitations,
corrosives and life expectancy of the coating. Two common pitfalls are
made in specifying:

1. Assuming that a single high temperature coating will be right for all
applications.

2. "Over specifying" the coating. Too often, the substrate skin

temperature is guessed at, and the guess is made on the high side for
safety.
MEASURING TEMPERATURE

Correct application and substrate conditions are critical to writing a

specification. Both the temperature range and the maximum
temperature need to be identified. Surface thermometers and heat
guns are now much more advanced today and are the most accurate to
take temperature measurements.

Temperature readings taken at the most accessible locations can be

misleading. For example, at ground level, a stack may be heavily line
with refractories. It will have skin temperature much lower than its
upper reaches where the lining might be thinner. When contact
measurements cannot be made, other methods must be used. One is
infrared emissivity measurement. An infrared scan provides accurate.
DESIGN AND MAINTENANCE FACTORS:

In writing a specification for a high temperature coating, the equipment

design and its condition must be considered. Usually design changes
can be made only on new construction, and only when a coating
specialist is consulted before fabrication begins.

If proper measurements are not taken, premature coating failure can

be caused by items such as bolts, rivets, corners, edges, inverted
channels and poorly treated weldments. Sharp protrusions should be
ground off, and welds abraded. Such areas should be spot primed with
a high temperature zinc dust primer. The makeup of the substrate must
be considered, since not all equipment is made of carbon steel.

SURFACE PREPARATION:

Once the conditions of application are known, the coating can be

specified. However, no coating- no matter how well specified - will
perform properly if it is not applied properly. The surface must be
correctly prepared. Contaminates must be removed. The SSPC should
be followed for each type of substrate along with the coating
manufacturer's suggestion/recommendation.
For carbon steel, abrasive blasting is the preferred method. It removes
contaminants and creates a mechanical anchor pattern to hold the
coating. The profile should not normally exceed 1-1.5 mil, since the high
temperature coatings are applied in thin films to reduce internal
thermal stresses. For stainless steel, the removal of oil and grease can
be done with light brush blasting or solvent cleaning with specialized
non chlorinated solvents.

PRIMING To avoid recontamination, priming should be done as soon as

possible after surface preparation is finished. For carbon steel, a high
temperature zinc dust primer should be used. For indoor exposure, in
nonaggressive environments, a two coat topcoat system offers a viable
option. When high temperature equipment is to be painted, the nature
of the previously applied coatings must be considered.
FIELD APPLICATION METHODS-

Equipment should be allowed to cool to ambient temperature before it

is painted. The only exception is coatings that are formulated to be
applied to hot surfaces. If equipment is hot, in some cases, brush and
rollers could produce excessive thick films and could fail due to cracking
and flaking caused by thermal stress in the film. Spray applications on
hot surfaces can result in a condition similar to dry spray.

Contamination is often a problem. Apply the topcoat over a primer as

soon as possible. If too much time passes after the primer is applied,
remove any contaminates from its surface to promote adhesion. Avoid
prolonged exposure to wet weather, salt fog, or other corrosive
conditions before a high temperature coating is cured.
Work should be scheduled so that equipment exposed to such
environments can be put back into service as quickly as possible. Poor
control of film thickness can be a problem. If the film is too thick, it can
crack and lift. The total system dry film thickness should be considered
as per the technical data sheet of both the primer and topcoat.