New coatings safer, last longer Bottom Line: It's Not Just A Paint Job
On the surface, the subject of paint seems simple. After all, it's just a paint job, right? For maritime applications, however, beauty is much more than skin deep. The coating of surfaces on ships is a complex combination of materials, chemicals and preparation to combat corrosion and maintain a sharp appearance. The coatings must wear well in the worst of weather and withstand the most extreme environments. They must last with little maintenance, must be earth friendly and safe for people and other living things, and last but certainly not least, they must be affordable. The paint job found on a contemporary ship may look the same as that of a ship of several decades ago, when in fact very little is the same.
UNO Researchers Develop Nontoxic Technology Against Corrosion
University of New Orleans (UNO) researcher Al Daech is afraid of heights; not a good phobia to have when your research involves space shuttles, fuel tanks, and other, big, space-age equipment. He's been trying to conquer his fears since 1981. That's when his work on corrosion fighting collided with his fear of heights. As a Martin Marietta (now called Lockheed Martin) consultant, Daech found himself on a narrow bit of scaffolding 450 ft. in the air, inspecting one of the external fuel tanks on STS-I Columbia, the first space shuttle. Three days before the launch, a pool table-size blister formed in the external tank of the STS-I. Daech's inspection showed an oily rag wiped across the tank caused the blister. He and a crew immediately went to work.
