CASE
#Biomass Power Plants are being built around the world to combat the reliance using fossil fuels by using #renewable energy sources like wood pellets. In this case, a biomass power plant was built near the source of wood residues in Merritt, BC, Canada. This is part of the movement to create clean or “green” energy resources.
Problem
The plant is in the interior of British Columbia where the weather conditions are very cold in the winter and hot in the summer. Clean burning wood pellets heat water to drive steam turbines which create electricity. This plant needs precision measurements using computers and servers located inside the building and must be kept clean and dry by an enclosure.
However, the hot pipes with steam and the cold weather create water condensation that is constantly dripping onto the steel containment housing the servers. The steel top has started to rust over a short period.
Solution
Stray Cat Industrial was asked to apply a protective "battleship gray" color coating on the top of the steel containment room to protect it from corrosion. Eurasia Building Technologies Corp provided the product to Stray Cat as the distributor here in BC.
#Castagra #Ecodur is a mineral-urethane hybrid #green coating made from gypsum and castor seed oil. It is incredibly durable and has double the adhesion strength of conventional epoxies while maintaining its flexibility for the entire life of the coating which can be decades. Saltwater tests over 20 years have shown no measurable degradation.It is widely used in the harsh chemical environments of fracking production water and oil tanks.
The coating remained ¬flexible throughout its service life and in some cases remains after 20 years in service.Coatings are easily maintained, and the underlying steel sheeting remains intact.
Application Results
The steel sheets were cleaned from rust and dirt, and the seams were taped afterward. Then Stray Cat coated the top with Ecodur to get an average 30 mil thickness to completely seal everything. As it was winter cold, Ecodur has the advantage of curing even under cold conditions that regular epoxy coatings cannot do.
Furthermore, the coating has zero volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), no BPA and uses no solvents meaning that workers can continue without the worry of breathing in dangerous fumes.
The normal thermal expansion of steel during seasonal hot and cold cycles does not cause the flexible coating to crack or de-laminate over the joints. As an additional benefit whereas epoxy coatings can often crack, the flexible Ecodur coating can easily be patched onto itself even after years.The “green” coating provides superior performance, costs less and installs more quickly than conventional petrochemical coatings.
For further information on Castagra Ecodur, please visit www.ebuildt.com