Corrosion of water and wastewater infrastructure isn't just costly, the maintenance and refurbishment of water industry assets should comply with industry standards.
This means using products that are fully compliant and tested and using suppliers with decades of experience.
US-based manufacturer of spray applied polymer coatings, Rhino Linings, has been in the business for more than 30 years. With the acquisition of a local business in early 2000 Rhino Linings Australasia Pty Ltd was born.
Based on the Gold Coast, Rhino Linings Australasia is the only manufacturer of spray applied coatings in Australia. The company sources all of its materials from local suppliers with the exception of specialised chemicals imported from the parent company in America.
The special projects engineer at Rhino Linings, Dennis Baker said that as a local manufacturer the company can be more responsive to customer requests.
“We are not dependent on delivery schedules from an overseas supplier,” he said. Moreover, all coatings developed by Rhino Linings for the water industry are continually tested to ensure they comply with the latest standards.
“Coatings are tested for compliance with AS4020 at the Australian Water Quality Centre in Adelaide,” Baker said.
When refurbishing or repairing any pipes, channels or tanks that carry potable water, special coatings are required as it is essential that no chemicals leach into the drinking water. For pipelines, different coatings can be applied to the inside and outside of the pipes, especially if the pipes are buried underground.
For concrete storage reservoirs, water authorities are lining the insides to stop corrosion and prevent leaks. Rhino Linings' 'high build coatings' are 1000 microns thick as opposed to paints and epoxies which might only be several hundred microns.
“High build polymer coatings are also flexible which allows them to stretch and shrink as substrates expand and contract due to temperature and ground fluctuations,” Baker said.
“Our polyurethane and pure polyurea coatings have a patented mix ratio that has been determined over many years.
“The company's coatings contain no solvents or VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and its procedures contain and manage overspray.”
Baker said a major consideration in applying any surface treatment to a structure is the requirement to minimise downtime. “The beauty of our coatings is that they set rapidly,” Baker. said
“We can spray them on and they cure in six seconds for pure polyurea and 20 seconds for polyurethane.”
Visit www.rhinolingings.com.au