PPG PMC: 20 Years of Polysiloxane Coatings

MarineLink.com January 6, 2014

PPG coatings have been used to coat more than 1 billion square feet of surface area in the energy, infrastructure and marine markets, including the Peace Bridge connecting the U.S. and Canada across the Niagara River in New York. The Peace Bridge was last painted with PSX coatings nearly 20 years ago and has not yet needed repainting. (Photo: PPG)

PPG Industries’ protective and marine coatings (PMC) business is celebrating the 20th anniversary of polysiloxane coatings, for which PPG was granted the first patent on Jan. 4, 1994.

Tim Knavish, PPG vice president, protective and marine coatings, said polysiloxane coatings have revolutionized the protective and marine coatings industry, expanding into applications such as civil infrastructure, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), government, water and wastewater, petrochemical, offshore, rail, power generation and wind energy.

PPG polysiloxane products, specifically the PSX brand of coatings, have been used to coat more than 1 billion square feet of surface area. “With the sheer number of applications and success stories, polysiloxane is now considered a mature technology,” Knavish explained.

In the 20 years since being introduced, PSX coatings have been refined continually to meet specific customer needs, PPG said. Recent innovations include a semi-gloss version for the government marine industry, a single-component formulation for easier maintenance, and a new ultra-low-VOC (volatile organic compound) PSX coating.

Polysiloxane coating technology by PPG offers benefits compared to traditional epoxy coatings systems such as low odor, low VOC content, excellent abrasion resistance, stronger adhesion, extended color and gloss retention, increased corrosion resistance and low surface tension. As a two-coat system, PSX coatings provide cost and labor savings compared to three-layer systems, and they are safer because they contain no isocyanates.

ppgpmc.com