Paint is the most commonly used material to protect steel.

Paint systems for steel structures

have developed over the years to comply with industrial environmental legislation and in
response to demands from bridge and building owners for improved durability performance.
Previous five and six coat systems have been replaced by typically three coat alternatives,
and the latest formulations have focussed on application in even fewer numbers of coats, but
with increasing individual film thickness. Examples of this are epoxy and polyester glass
flake coatings that are designed for high build thickness in one or two coat applications, and
single coat high build elastomeric urethane coatings, up to 1000μm thick.

Modern specifications usually comprise a sequential coating application of paints or

alternatively paints applied over metal coatings to form a ‘duplex’ coating system. The
protective paint systems usually consist of primer, undercoat(s) and finish coats. Each coating
‘layer’ in any protective system has a specific function, and the different types are applied in
a particular sequence of primer followed by intermediate / build coats in the shop, and finally
the finish or top coat either in the shop or on site.

Composition of paints and film formation

Paints are made by mixing and blending three main components:

(a) The pigments

Pigments are finely ground inorganic or organic powders which provide colour, opacity, film
cohesion and sometimes corrosion inhibition.
(b) The binder
Binders are usually resins or oils but can be inorganic compounds such as soluble silicates.
The binder is the film forming component in the paint.
(c) The solvent
Solvents are used to dissolve the binder and to facilitate application at the paint. Solvents are
usually organic liquids or water.

Paints are applied to steel surfaces by many methods but in all cases this produces a 'wet
film'. The thickness of the 'wet film' can be measured, before the solvent evaporates, using a
comb-gauge. As the solvent evaporates, film formation occurs, leaving the binder and
pigments on the surface as a 'dry film'. The thickness of the 'dry film' can be measured,
usually with an electro-magnetic induction gauge. The relationship between the applied 'wet
film' thickness and the final 'dry film' thicknesses (dft) is determined by the percentage
volume solids of the paint, i.e. dft = 'wet film' thickness multiplied by the % vol. solids.

In general the corrosion protection afforded by a paint film is directly proportional to its dry
film thickness

Classification of paints

Since, in the broadest terms, a paint consists of a particular pigment, dispersed in a particular
binder, dissolved in a particular solvent then the number of generic types of paint is limited.
The most common methods of classifying paints are either by their pigmentation or by their
binder type.
Primers for steel are usually classified according to the main corrosion inhibitive pigments
used in their formulation, e.g. zinc phosphate primers and metallic zinc primers, etc. Each of
these inhibitive pigments can be incorporated into a range of binder resins giving for
example, zinc phosphate alkyd primers, zinc phosphate epoxy primers, etc.

Intermediate and finish coats are usually classified according to their binders, e.g. epoxies,
vinyls, urethanes, etc.

Main generic types of paint and their properties

(a) Air drying paints

For example alkyds
These materials dry and form a film by an oxidative process, which involves absorption of
oxygen from the atmosphere. They are therefore limited to relatively thin films. Once the film
has formed it has limited solvent resistance and usually poor chemical resistance.

(b) One pack chemical resistant paints

For example acrylated rubbers, vinyls
For these materials, film formation requires only solvent evaporation and no oxidative
process is involved. They can be applied as moderately thick films though retention of
solvent in the film can be a problem at the upper end of this range. The formed film remains
relatively soft and has poor solvent resistance but good chemical resistance. Bituminous
paints also dry by solvent evaporation. They are essentially solutions of either asphaltic
bitumen or coal-tar pitch in organic solvents.

(c) Two pack chemical resistant paints

For example epoxy, urethane
These materials are supplied as two separate components, usually referred to as the base and
the curing agent. When these two components are mixed, immediately before use, a chemical
reaction occurs. These materials therefore have a limited 'pot life' before which the mixed
coating must be applied. The polymerisation reaction continues after the paint has been
applied and after the solvent has evaporated to produce a densely cross linked film which can
be very hard and has good solvent and chemical resistance. Liquid resins of low viscosity can
be used in the formulation thereby avoiding the need for a solvent. Such coatings are referred
to as 'solvent less' or 'solvent free' and can be applied as very thick films.

How to Apply Epoxy Metal Paint

Clean, dull and dry are the words to remember regarding the surface to be painted with epoxy metal
paint. Some metals are factory-coated with oils that contain paint-repelling ingredients that must be
removed before you paint. Surface preparation is the most important step in the paint process
because epoxy won't adhere to dirt, grease or rust. The quality of the prep work directly affects the
life of the finish, and if you skip this preparation step, you likely will be spending time and money on
repairs later.
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Remove rust with a rotary tool and a brush attachment. Work the rust off the metal using the
tip of the brush drill attachment. Don't press hard on the tip, as that could damage the bristles.
Use a scraper to remove loose, flaking paint. Sand the metal with a fine-grit sanding block to
smooth rough edges and to degloss the surface for painting.

Remove dirt and grease with soapy water and a scouring pad. Apply a mildewcide cleaner to
mold and mildew, and use a pressure washer to clean large areas. Wipe the metal dry with
clean, lint-free cloths to avoid the formation of flash rust.

Cover the ground with drop cloths. Cover everything on the metal that you don't want painted
with masking paper. Secure the paper with painter's tape.

Fill a paint sprayer with primer. Use an etching primer on bare metal or a bonding primer on
previously painted metal. Hold the spray gun about 1 foot from the metal, and spray a coat of
primer using smooth, sweeping motions. Allow the primer to dry for the amount of time
recommended by the manufacturer. Apply a second coat of primer and allow it to dry
completely. This step can be omitted if you are using DTM (direct to metal) paint.

Clean the spray gun and hose with paint thinner to remove the primer. Fill the paint sprayer
with epoxy metal paint. Hold the spray gun about 1 foot from the metal, and spray a coat of
paint using smooth, sweeping motions and overlapping strokes. Maintain a consistent
distance from the metal to ensure uniform paint coverage. Allow the paint to dry for the
amount of time recommended by the manufacturer, and apply a second coat of paint, using
strokes perpendicular to those used for the first coat.