By: William Seawell, Induron Protective Coatings Director of Technical Service
In the current regulatory and financial climate, water utilities are increasing their focus on the state of their currently in-service treatment plant assets, including aeration basins, clarifiers, grit chambers, chlorine contact basins etc. All these assets have an increasingly apparent need for linings and corrosion solutions that can be installed on site. Likewise, in a period of increased influent volume, more chemically extreme influent, and increasing regulatory pressure, there is a rising need for immersion coating maintenance in treatment plants.
To respond to this need, Induron is proud to launch its latest innovation–Novasafe. Novasafe is a thick-film, ceramic-filled novolac epoxy formulated to stand up to the most extreme environments encountered in treatment plants on concrete and carbon steel surfaces.
For decades, Induron has utilized thick-film ceramic epoxy technology to protect buried ductile iron pipe interiors, water tank interiors and water treatment plant interiors. Novasafe is making this possible by lowering the barrier to entry with long pot-life, single-leg application and extended service life from a relatively thin film. Novasafe is distinctly NOT a 250 mil, plural-applied snap cure product optimized for shop throughput. It does all that those products do with 80 mils of film, and it is jaw-droppingly easy to apply in the field just as it is formulated to be.
Novasafe’s formulation chemistry is truly unique in the industry, and it can provide the corrosion and erosion protection treatment plant operators need to rehabilitate structures in the most extreme environments–all with one less coat compared to traditional epoxies and far less film thickness than polyurethane/polyurea. Novasafe is able to accomplish this with its unique resin and filler package along with Induron’s decades of experience in wastewater corrosion protection in its shop-applied ceramic products.
Novasafe can also withstand continuous exposure to the entire pH range, a variety of strong mineral acids, all strong alkalis, high hydrogen sulfide concentrations often encountered in wastewater influent channels and digesteos as well as the strongly oxidative conditions often encountered in the treatment of that same wastewater in chlorine contact chambers.
Ceramic linings in general, and Novasafe in particular, are able to provide a level of corrosion and erosion protection in immersion, both on concrete and steel, unmatched by “performance equivalents” in both absolute and cost-adjusted terms. Novasafe is a novel lining material that will provide efficiency and dollar benefits to the applicator, and asset owner, in ways that are both demonstrable and quantifiable. Novasafe is easier to apply and is more robust in dry film than its competitors–just contact us to see this for yourself!
While Novasafe is not appropriate for all services—no lining material is— there is a place in every treatment plant specification or treatment plant where Novasafe can assist in rehabilitating structures in immersion for continued long-term protection with a reduced maintenance load while providing savings in maintenance dollars and improving the look of the facility.
Ready to see Novasafe in action? Contact Induron today to schedule a demonstration or learn more about this innovative product.