By: Linc York, Induron Sales Representative
No, it’s not exactly magic. Located in Venice, Illinois, Terminal Railroad Association (TRRA) has four diesel fuel tanks that are 60 feet high and 12 feet in diameter. The tanks had a red oxide coating that had chalked and rusted since being installed in 2008. The challenge was to recommend a coating system that was compatible with the existing red oxide coating since the cost, risk and mess associated with abrasive blasting would have been prohibitive.
The obvious choice for surface preparation was high-pressure water blasting combined with hand and power tool cleaning any areas with loose paint and rust. The primer/tie-coat used was Induron’s Induramastic 85, a high-build surface-tolerant epoxy coating formulated for excellent adhesion to less than perfect substrates. The finish coat specified was Induron’s Permastic Polyurethane. This product is a high-build, gloss urethane with excellent chemical and stain resistance that will last for many years.
With the goal of preserving their integrity and the appearance of the tanks, TRRA put together a bid package to properly prepare and coat the tanks. The successful company was Bazan Painting, which is based in St. Louis, Missouri. Bazan Painting’s project manager, Stuart Skillington, chose to use Induron products and was more than satisfied with the results, as was I.
“Other than the weather which delayed the work, all procedures went off without a hitch,” Skillington said. “Terminal Rail Road was very helpful in every way and a pleasure to work for. Application of the Induron Coatings were user-friendly and performed up to the high standards that we have come to appreciate. Another successful project completed with the use of Induron Coatings.”
So, there you have it. With the application of just a few Induron products, you can turn red into white.