2-Part Epoxy Paste Protects 69 Rail Tanks

At an open-pit Coal Mine in La Guajira, Colombia, 69 rail tanks were suffering from severe pitting damage caused by strong breezes containing high levels of salinity. Not only did the damaged areas need to be repaired immediately, but it was also imperative that the resurfaced areas would be able to withstand the corrosive environment in which the tanks operated for the long term.

Ferro tanks suffering from severe pitting damage — Rail tanks suffering from severe pitting damage

Specification of 2-Part Epoxy Paste, Belzona 1111 (Super Metal)

In order to resurface the areas and protect the substrate against corrosion for the long term, the repair composite, Belzona 1111 (Super Metal) was specified. This epoxy paste will not corrode – making it the ideal solution to protect the rail tanks within the aggressive environment. In addition, as the application can be carried out without the need for hot work or specialist tools, this helps to facilitate a simple, safe and fast application procedure.

Mine Personnel Trained in the Application of Repair Composite

Given the huge scale of the project across the 69 tanks, the Client appointed four members of personnel to be trained in the application of the 2-part epoxy paste, Belzona 1111 (Super Metal). By training personnel in this way, this ensured that the application process could be carried out as quickly and efficiently as possible. This helped to keep downtime to an absolute minimum, thus enabling the Mine to make financial savings as it maximised the uptime of operations.

Personnel being trained in the application of Belzona 1111 (Super Metal)

Fast and Simple Application Procedure

Firstly, in order to achieve the required surface roughness, the substrate was grit blasted. Once completed, an anchor profile measurement of 75µm was recorded. Then, all loose contamination was brushed away and the surface was cleaned using Belzona 9111 (Cleaner/Degreaser).

Carbon steel substrate on Ferro tanks grit blasted — Carbon steel substrate on rail tanks grit blasted

Anchor profile on carbon steel substrate achieved

Next, the 2-part epoxy paste, Belzona 1111 (Super Metal), was combined and mixed using a spatula until a homogenous colour was achieved.

Mixing of 2-part, anti-corrosion system until homogenous colour was achieved

The epoxy system was then applied to the pitted areas using a short-bristled brush. The Belzona applicator was then used to firmly fill in all the pitted areas, ensuring any entrapped air was dispelled. The system was then left for approximately two hours to achieve a full cure.

Application of epoxy paste onto pitted areas

Rail tanks rebuilt and protected against corrosion with cold-curing system for the long term

The application commenced in June 2021 and is still ongoing.

Successful Application of 2-Part Epoxy Paves the Way for Future Belzona Specifications

Commenting on the application, Ramiro Avendaño, Owner of ISA Colombia said:

“The Belzona 1111 (Super Metal) project successfully showcases the benefits of deploying epoxy technology to protect assets against corrosion. Having seen the superior performance properties of this system and experienced an excellent level of ongoing technical support, we are now in discussion with the Client to specify further Belzona systems that can be installed at the Mine.”

Belzona also offer anti-corrosion coatings, such as Belzona 5000 Series, that provide outstanding levels of corrosion protection to metal substrates. These coatings can be applied following a repair and resurfacing procedure, as detailed in the case study above.