PROTECTIVE COATING FOR CONCRETE

Various external hostile environmental substances, such as, water, carbon dioxide, oxygen,
chlorides, sulphides and biological organisms are transported from the atmosphere into the
concrete. These substances attack steel and concrete in different mechanisms causing
premature deterioration of reinforced concrete challenging its durability resulting in
premature failure of the structures. The entry of the harmful agents can be restricted
and/avoided by providing the barrier surface coatings on the concrete, thus conservation of
structural integrity is achieved during its service life.

MATERIALS OF COATINGS

Coating formulation is generally based on organic, inorganic, polymer, and co-polymer

chemistry.

Components of Coatings
All organic coatings consist of three basic components:
(1) Solvent,
(2) Resin, and
(3) Pigment.

Fig.3. Components of Coating

Not all coatings contain solvent and pigmented components. There are solvent-free (100
percent solids) coatings and clear, pigment free coatings, but not resin -free coatings.
Coating chemical formulators commonly group solvent, resin, and pigment components into
two general categories. The first category combines the solvent and the resin together. The
solvent portion is called the “volatile vehicle,” and the resin portion is called the “non-
volatile vehicle.” The combination of the solvent and the resin, where the resin is dissolved
in the solvent, is called the “vehicle.” The second category is the pigment. Pigments are
additives that impart specific properties to the coating and are subdivided into two general
categories: (1) colour and (2) inert and reinforced. Figure 3 illustrates the relationship of
these components. When a coating is applied, the solvent evaporates during the curing
process, leaving only the resin and the pigment components on the substrate. The remaining
resin and pigments are sometimes called the “coating solids,” and they form the protective
film for corrosion protection.
Solvent
Organic solvents are formulated into coatings to perform three essential functions: (1)
dissolve the resin component; (2) Control evaporation for film formation; and (3)
reduce the coating viscosity for ease of application. Solvents will also affect dry film
adhesion and durability coating proper ties. In general, resins that are less soluble will require
either more solvents or stronger solvents to dissolve the resins. The terms “solvents” and
“thinners” are often used interchangeably, but there are distinctions within and between the
two terms. The term “solvent” can imply two different usages: (1) the solvent or solvent
blends in the coating formulation at predetermined concentration levels; or (2) cleaning
solvents in strong concentration strength for cleaning brushes, rollers, hoses, and other
equipment. The usage of the term “thinner” (a thinner is a solvent) is most often associated
with the coating application or adding a thinner to a coating container (normally about 475 ml
thinner to 3.75 litres of coating ) to reduce the viscosity for ease of application . Adding
thinner to a coating in the field is often called “field thinning.”

Resin
The resin (frequently called binder) is the film forming component of a coating. Resins
are typically a high molecular weight solid polymer that forms large repeating molecules in
the cured film. The primary purpose of the resin is to wet the pigment particles and bind the
pigment particles together and to the substrate (hence, the term “binder”). The resin imparts
most of the coating properties. The various types of resins formulated in a coating will
display distinct properties. These properties are:
Mechanism and time of curing
Performance in service exposure type
Performance on substrate type
Compatibility with other coatings
Flexibility and toughness
Exterior weathering
Adhesion
Breathability (water vapour transmission ability)
No single resin can achieve a high degree of success in meeting the above coating properties
with wide variations associated with each property. Therefore, generic coating types are
generally classified by the primary resin type used in the coating formulation. Typical
resins are acrylics, alkyds and epoxy polymers.
Pigment
Pigments are insoluble and are the heavier solid portion of a coating that typically settles to
the bottom of the container. Pigments are additives to the coating formulation that impart
specific properties to achieve the desired film properties. Pigments impart colour and
aesthetics to the coating.

Coating Types
The following are three basic types of coatings:
Barrier —A coating that forms a barrier between the concrete surface and prevents the entry
of harmful agent into the concrete body by many of the transport mechanisms such as
absorption, capillary suction, diffusion etc. They are essentially film forming agent on curing.
Examples are acrylics, epoxies, coal tar epoxies etc.
Inhibitive — A penetrant or a primer that is slightly soluble in water or a solvent that forms a
chemical inhibitor and effectively coats the walls of the capillaries in concrete. They
generally impart properties like hydrophobicity for the concrete but allow the water
vapour transmission through them. Examples are Silane –siloxanes etc.
Galvanic —Zinc-rich primer coatings that provide galvanic or cathodic protection to ferrous
metal (zinc sacrifices itself to protect the ferrous metal). Galvanic coatings are effective
only if applied directly to bare metal. They prevent formation of incipient anodes in the
reinforcing steel in a typical patch repair situation.

Generic Coatings
The following generic coatings and general descriptions are typically specified by the
consultants:
Acrylics — In water-borne acrylic coatings, the resins are dispersed in water to form a
water emulsion. Water –borne acrylics are specified for atmospheric exposures as a primer or
top coat and have excellent colour and gloss retention. Acrylics cure by coalescence. They
are breathable and UV stable. Good barrier for carbon dioxide.

Alkyds —Alkyds are normally natural oils (soya, Tung, styrene) that have been
chemically modified to improve cure rate, chemical resistance, and hardness. Phenolic
modified alkyds are specified as a primer, and silicone alkyds are specified as the topcoat for
atmospheric service exposures primer, as well as the topcoat for atmospheric service
exposures especially for metals. They are not suitable for alkaline (concrete or masonry)
surfaces or environments. Alkyds cure by air oxidation of drying oils.

Bituminous — Bituminous coatings are heavy-bodied materials applied with a cutback

solvent. They have good moisture barrier resistance and fair to good chemical resistance but
are not resistant to solvents. Commercial bituminous products are specified on a limited
basis by consultants for protection of aluminium surfaces in contact with cementitious
material or steel and copper cable weld connections. Bituminous coatings cure by solvent
evaporation.

Epoxy, Amine —Amine epoxies are two-component coatings that are catalysed
(hardened)by an amine curing agent to produce a hard, tightly bonded, chemical resistant
(alkali, acid, and solvent) product, but they are moisture and temperature sensitive during
application. They are specified for burial and immersion service exposures, but they will
fade and chalk in direct sun light. Amine epoxies cure by chemical reaction.

Epoxy, Polyamide — Polyamide epoxies are two component coatings that are catalysed by a
polyamide curing agent to produce superior resistance to water and salt solutions, but they do
not provide the chemical resistance of the amine epoxy. Polyamides have a greater flexibility
than the amine epoxies. They are specified for burial and immersion service exposures, but
they will fade and chalk in direct sun light. Polyamide epoxies cure by chemical reaction.

Epoxy, Coal Tar — Coal tar epoxies are generally an amine or polyamide epoxy modified
with coal tar pitch resin to produce a high-build film that has good chemical resistance and
excellent water resistance. They have a tendency to become brittle with age and delaminate
between coats or beneath repair patches. They are specified for burial and immersion service
exposures, but they will fade and chalk in direct sunlight. Coal tar epoxies cure by
chemicalreaction.
Epoxy, Fusion-Bonded —Fusion bonded epoxies (commonly called powder coatings) are
complete coatings in powder form. There are two application methods, fluidized-bed and
electrostatic. In the fluidized-bed method, the metal items are preheated to a fusion
temperature and immersed in the powder-epoxy solution. In the electrostatic method, the
epoxy powder particles are charged with high voltage, and the metal item is then sprayed.
After spraying, the item is placed in an oven to cure at about 180 to 350°C. Fusion bonded
epoxies are specified for reinforcing steel, but they become brittle and fail to protect steel in
the long run. They act as barrier to the steel getting direct contact with the alkaline concrete
and deprive the reinforcing steel to have natural protection by the alkaline concrete.

Inorganic Zinc Primers — Inorganic zincs are primers that incorporate a high loading (Kg
per litre ) of metallic zinc for pigmentation (hence, the term “zinc-rich”) and are either
solvent or water based . Depending on the solvent and resins used, the coating may be a
zinc rich epoxy or urethane. These coatings are exclusively primers because they provide
galvanic or cathodic protection to steel substrate. Inorganic zincs are specified for
atmospheric and immersion service exposures, but they can be top coated to extend their
service life. Suitable topcoat material selection is required to prevent out-gassing from the
inorganic zinc that produces small pinholes in the top coat. Suitable for steel bars and
structural steel section buried in concrete contaminated with chlorides.

Polyurethane —Technically, polyurethane is a subclass of urethane. Two-component

polyurethane is created by chemically combining a polyisocyanate and a polyol to produce an
isocyanate that has a two mode cure mechanism of solvent evaporation and chemical
reaction. Generally polyurethanes are specified for top coating compatible (i.e. same
manufacturer) amine and poly amide epoxies to protect against direct sun light or U V and to
provide specific colours. Polyurethanes are specified for atmospheric and partial or
fluctuating immersion service exposures.

Urethane —Urethane coatings vary widely in formulations for specific service environments
and application requirements. Many times single-component; moisture-cured urethanes are
specified. They cure from moisture in the atmosphere and can be applied to damp surfaces
that do not have free moisture present. These urethanes are formulated with various
pigmentations and are specified in several combinations to suit the intended service exposure.
These urethanes are specified for atmospheric, burial, and immersion exposures.

FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF COATINGS FOR REINFORCED

CONCRETE
The coatings have two main functions viz. providing protection against harmful agents
thereby increasing the durability and providing aesthetic appearance to the structure. To
achieve these functions, the coatings should have the following attributes:
Good adhesion to the surface to be coated
Resistant to alkalis, as the coatings are applied on alkaline concrete
Resistance against CO2, sulphate and Chlorides to provide barrier property
Good flexibility as the structural members undergo dimensional variation due to
cyclic loads
Excellent weathering resistance
Breathability- should allow water vapour transmission through the coating to avoid
blistering of the coatings; a durability requirement.
Resistance for UV exposure- a durability requirement
Low susceptibility to staining
 Good resistant against growth of fungi, algae moss etc.

Table.1 shows the properties of different resins available in the market.

However, It should be noted that all resin materials are not totally resistant and impermeable
to all aggressive agents and do not provide a total protection. Chemical/physical degradation
of resins and debonding of coatings are the major phenomena affecting the durability of
surface protection. The mechanisms of destructive processes in such heterogeneous materials
as resin composites are complicated and not completely understood. Degradation of resins
mainly involves swelling, dissolution and scission of molecular chain bonds.
A wide variety of reactions is possible for resin degradation. The transport of gases and
liquids aggressive to substrate into or through the coating is the major problem of its
delamination. Various mechanisms of deterioration of resin composites and coatings are
summarised in Table 2. There are many parameters that influence the deterioration process of
coatings, such as chemical agents, temperature, solar radiation, pressure, abrasion,
cyclictemperature-moisture changes etc.

All these parameters can occur simultaneously or they can be complementary to one another.
The barrier may be subjected to continuous exposure or intermittent contact occasioned by
splash, spray, or accidental wetting with aggressive substances. Usually chemical/physical
degradation and debonding of coatings is the major problem of deterioration leading to their
cracking and delamination. On the basis of the degradation processes the basic requirements
for protective coatings of concrete structures in aggressive environments can be formulated.
They are as follows:

• Resistivity to chemical/physical actions

• Low permeability to water, solutions and gases
• Good bond to concrete
• Sufficient flexibility to avoid cracking caused by thermal or mechanical movements
• Similar physical properties of the overlay material and underlying concrete
• Adequate abrasion or skid resistance
• Resistivity to chemical action of concrete and humidity in concrete
• Bridging of fine cracks in concrete