Saltwater is the ever-present, costly enemy of Navy ships – a major cause of corrosion. A new weapon in the anti-corrosion arsenal, Sherwin-Williams Polysiloxane XLE-80 HAPS Free, was showcased at Mega Rust 2011, held June 6-9 in Norfolk, Va. A Navy project using the coating was reported on during the presentation, “Time & Cost Savings Associated with the Application of MIL-PRF-24635 Type V Polysiloxane to the Freeboard of the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6),” delivered by Gordon Kuljian, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Consultant; Paul Slebodnick, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory; and Mark Schultz, Sherwin-Williams Protective and Marine Coatings. An analysis completed as part of the project estimated that coating and labor costs are 26% lower when using polysiloxane compared to using silicone alkyd.
When the military performance specification (MIL-PRF-24635) for weather-resistant exterior coatings added new high-durability classifications (Type V), it opened the door to alternative technologies that supported the Navy’s efforts to reduce the growing costs of corrosion by using coatings that offer longer service life, require less maintenance and can be cleaned. When the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard required exterior painting during a just-concluded 10-month maintenance period, Polysiloxane XLE-80 HAPS Free was chosen for the freeboard topcoat.