Renovating steel storage tanks can be a challenge in the winter, even in Texas, which is why the city’s consulting engineer at the Sweetwater Treatment Plant gave a warm reception to a new advanced technology exterior coating system from Tnemec Company for use at the utility’s Alabama Avenue ground storage tank. “Weather was a concern,” admitted Tnemec coating consultant Lane Salvato. “But the new Series 740 UVX, a polyurethane coating, handled the temperatures well.”
Approximately 65 gallons of Series 740 UVX were applied on the tank, which measured 37-feet in diameter by 32-feet high. The hybrid finish topcoat combines high quality polyurethane resin and an ultraviolet (UV) light absorber for exceptional performance on a wide range of exterior structures. “The project’s contractor commented that the coating cured fast and they liked its high build properties,” Salvato recalled. “The film laid out nicely, dried hard and had a noticeably lower odor than standard polyurethanes.”
The tank’s exterior surface was prepared in accordance with SSPC-SP6/NACE No. 3 Commercial Blast Cleaning and primed with Series 90-97 Tneme-Zinc, a zinc-rich aromatic urethane. Next, an intermediate coat of Series 161 TnemeFascure, a low temperature-cure polyamide epoxy, was applied, followed by a topcoat of Series 740.
The contractor encountered high wind conditions while applying Series 740, but Salvato reported, “The feedback received from the contractor indicated our customer’s perception of Series 740 was very positive. It covered well and hardened quickly. It was a good product with good gloss.”
Salvato added that the city’s consulting engineer has specified Series 740 UVX on several additional projects, which is a good indication of the customer’s satisfaction with the product.