Ameron Developed Protective Coating for NASA
PASADENA, Calif. - Ameron International Corporation ("Ameron" or "Company") developed a protective coating for NASA that would withstand the high temperatures and corrosion generated by the Space Shuttle and expendable launch vehicle (ELV) rocket engines. Now, this technology is helping protect everything from industrial plants to bridges. The NASA-tailored innovation is incorporated in some general-purpose formulations for the Company's commercial customers. One product, PSX-700, is designed for exceptional weatherability, corrosion control and long-lasting protection with only one application; it is intended for such uses as bridges and marine structures, industrial plants, tanks and piping, and on transportation vehicles, including boats and barges. Early versions of the PSX-700 were applied and evaluated at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Beach Corrosion Test Site. This data generated at KSC was used for the final version of the product. PSX-738 is a product designed to withstand twice as much continuous heat as conventional heat-resistant coatings (more than 2,000 degrees F), and it is capable of protecting both carbon steel and stainless steel, even under insulation.
NASA desired coatings that could protect the launch pad structures from the temperatures and acids generated by the blast of the Space Shuttle's rocket engines. The coatings had to remain intact and protect the launch pad so that its steel would not heat above 150 degrees F and buckle. Also, NASA wanted a sprayable coating that would cope for long periods with the heat, humidity, and ultraviolet attack of the intense Florida sunlight at Kennedy Space Center. For the NASA assignment, Ameron created resistant formulations of its Engineered Siloxane(TM) PSX chemistry, which employs an inorganic silicon-oxygen structure that, Ameron states, is stronger and more reliable than the carbon-based structure in organic polymers. One formulation, known as Amercoat(R) 3335, won NASA approval for heat and blast protection. The coating has been successfully applied to the launch pads for the McDonnell Douglas Delta rocket at Cape Canaveral Air Force Base. Additional applications to other launch pads at the Kennedy Space Center/Cape Canaveral complex have been successfully accomplished. The other coatings developed (PSX-700 and PSX-738) have been applied successfully at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Station.
PSX products formulated from this technology can be applied in one coat directly over the inorganic zinc primer, with no need for a mid-coat; therefore, it offers reduced application time and labor for general structural steel applications. Also, the product has long-term durability, and is excellent for the most severe environments. A new application of the PSX technology, which uses a custom-modified silicone intermediate, is a polysiloxane-phenolic resin pipe for fire water systems in marine and offshore environments. The pipe can survive fire and deliver pressurized water where it is needed at the critical moment. These non-corrosive pipes replace steel pipes in high-pressure, high-heat, wet and dry deluge systems on ships and oil platforms.
Ameron is a leading producer of high-performance coatings and finishes, fiberglass and composite pipe, concrete and steel pipe systems and other specialized construction products. The Company operates businesses in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australasia.