Category: News Alert

NEWS ALERT: Why Use Cortec® VpCI® Primers?

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A primer is a great addition to any coatings system wherever time and budgets allow. When it comes to painting metal, Cortec® VpCI® primers are a great choice for coating adhesion and corrosion protection.

Why Use Cortec® VpCI® Primers?

VpCI® Primers and Adhesion

One of the main purposes of a primer is to get good adhesion so the final topcoat sticks firmly to the surface below. While most Cortec® Coatings can be applied direct-to-metal, applying one or two coats of primer first makes the system even stronger. VpCI®-375 is a fast-drying thixotropic coating that can be used as a base layer on carbon steel and copper. Other metals such as aluminum, stainless steel, and galvanized steel are more difficult for coatings to adhere to and should be primed with VpCI®-373 wash primer to help subsequent primer/topcoat layers stick to the metal.

VpCI® Primers and Corrosion Protection

Another important reason for using VpCI® primers is corrosion protection. While other metal primers could theoretically be used with a VpCI® topcoat, it would not allow the VpCI® corrosion inhibitors to have direct access to the metal surface. Using a VpCI® primer gets Cortec® corrosion inhibitors as close to the metal surface as possible and is therefore an ideal foundation to a Cortec® Coatings system.

Get VpCI® Directly to the Surface

Cortec® Coatings offer the flexibility of choosing the convenience of a one-coat water-based system or the enhanced protection of a multi-coat VpCI® primer/topcoat system. Whenever time and budget allow, go for the best protection by getting VpCI® primer directly to the surface. Contact Cortec® for specific project recommendations.

Keywords: paint for metal, metal primers, corrosion inhibitors, corrosion protection, how to get good coating adhesion, Cortec Coatings, VpCI, painting best practices, how to choose a coating, why use primer

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NEWS ALERT: Fighting Summer Biofilm Problems with BioClean™ 612

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Summer puts extra demands on cooling water systems. Unfortunately, the proliferation of biofilm can lead to serious problems that decrease the design efficiencies of chillers, heat exchangers, and cooling towers. Cortec® offers the following suggestions to reduce operator stress and maximize cooling tower performance during peak operating season.

biofilm problems

Biofilm Problems

Open evaporative cooling systems are an incubator for microbial growth. This buildup can insulate heat exchangers (even more than scale!), coat sensors and interfere with readings, reduce flow in areas far from the pump, and allow acid-producing anaerobes to grow and produce pitting corrosion. As a result, cooling system operators need to treat the system with biocide three to four times weekly—sometimes daily—to take care of the biofilm buildup and reduce extra power use and strain on the system.

Biocide Synergy

To maximize biocide efficiency, a bio-dispersant such as BioClean™ 612 should be used first. Slug feeding BioClean™ 612 into the system 30-45 minutes before biocide application will give the bio-dispersant time to work, lifting the biofilm off the internal surfaces and giving the biocide easy access to it. The biocide subsequently turns the biofilm into a dead silt-like matter that is easy to filter out of the system.

Reduce Stress This Summer!

Hot summers and biofilm are a fact of life for most facility managers. Help yours reduce their summer stress by introducing them to the synergistic effect of BioClean™ 612 with routine biocide application. Contact Cortec® water treatment to get started!

Keywords: summer chiller problems, biofilm problems for cooling systems, bio-dispersant for cooling systems, HVAC maintenance tips, microbial buildup in heat exchanger, heat exchange efficiency, Cortec, summer water treatment, best practices for biofilm, biocide best practices

For a PDF version please click here.