USING POLYUREA COATINGS FOR COMMERCIAL MARINE APPLICATIONS

Polyurea proves effective on trawlers high-impact areas

he Alaska Ocean, at over 376 feet in length, is one of the largest fishing vessels in the U.S. Its also one of the most sophisticated a designation applying not only to the onboard electronics but to the coatings protecting the high-impact deck areas as well. The huge trawler/processor churns through the chilly, blue-gray waves of the North Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea, harvesting and processing Alaska pollock and Pacific Whiting to produce surimi, better known as imitation crabmeat. Owned by Alaska Oceans Seafood, The Alaska Ocean has the capacity to harvest and process more than 500 metric tons of fish per day during each of the approximately 220 days per year she spends at sea. Completely rebuilt more than 12 years ago in Norway and converted into the trawler/processor she is today, the Alaska Ocean represents an initial investment of more than $60 million. Its easy to see why keeping such an investment ship-shape is a high priority for her owners. That consideration led management to take a pioneering step by considering polyurea coatings for high-impact deck areas. Pure, 100-percent polyurea coatings, made possible by relatively recent advances in coatings technology, offer ultra-high film build plus outstanding abrasion, chemical and corrosion resistance. They also dry in as little as 30 seconds. Polyurea coatings are coming into wider use across many industries, and the marine market is no exception. Above the water line and currently being evaluated for surfaces below the water line these coatings can be very effective in protecting steel, aluminum and fiberglass for areas ranging from decks to fish hold liners and bilge liners.
TWO-MONTH DRY DOCK

The Alaska Ocean just before it left dry dock to go pier side to finish the painting project, including the polyurea application.

The two-month dry dock period the Alaska Ocean underwent this spring represented anything but idle time. We were scheduled into dry dock specifically to perform inspections of our rudder and tailshaft, says Cory Kaldestad, the Alaska Oceans port engineer who oversees vessel maintenance. At the same time, we continued to upgrade our fishing gear, fish-finding equipment and fac-

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FEATURE ARTICLE
application of polyurea is new to ships, says Judt. There arent too many vessels with this coating technology installed anywhere. Before painting, the Alaska Ocean underwent a major repair. There was a big dent in the steel in the forward end of the boat under the bow thrusters, probably caused by the impact of big waves hitting the boat, says Roulst. We took out a 12-foot by 12-foot piece of steel and replaced it with new steel. On the underwater hull, a copper slag blast media with a water ring was used to remove corrosion, grime and marine growth that had attached itself to the bottom of the boat. Water rings are mounted just behind the blast nozzle, explains Roulst, so water is projected around the blast stream, allowing a significant reduction in dust emissions. Surface preparation activities at the freeboard line and above including the topside structures involved several difThere are areas on our boat where, during ferent blasting techniques. All normal fishing and offload activities, a standard areas up high were power-tool prepared using sanders and coating will be destroyed by the repeated needle guns to prevent excesimpact of hard, heavy objects... sive dust emissions. On the freeboard, active corrosion was spot-blasted to SSPC SP-6 and Ray Meador, a marine specialist with sweep-blasted to SSPC SP-7. Sherwin-Williams Industrial and Marine On the topside superstructure, the areas Coatings group, says polyurea coatings are ideal were degreased and cleaned with Proline 747 for marine applications for many reasons, including the need for fast job turnaround in dry dock cleaner, an industrial degreaser used to clean to keep upgrades and repairs on schedule. and etch the surface, and then rinsed with fresh Polyureas hold up where other systems water. Etching helps to degloss the existing will fail, Meador notes. The fact that paint to promote better adhesion of the new polyurea coatings are not sensitive to moissystem, Roulst says. ture and humidity during curing means they An area of particularly severe corrosion can be applied within a wider window of appeared under the aft platform and over the temperatures and weather conditions than net ramp where the trawl net towed behind the traditional coatings. vessel is hauled aboard. This area was enclosed Theyre also an excellent choice when fast and sandblasted to SSPC SP-6. curing applications are applied in high humidiVent louvers were removed and sent through ty or low temperature conditions and where Todd Pacifics blast and paint facility, while some extreme abrasion resistance and a high film of the louvers that were rusted away to nothing build are required, says Meador. were replaced. Six trawl doors also were removed and sent through the blast and paint shop. tory process systems, as well as perform routine maintenance on our engines and various systems in the engine room and vessel. This includes getting a quality paint job. Kaldestad was familiar with many of the benefits of polyureas. Planning ahead, he had arranged for a test area of Sherwin-Williams EnviroLastic Polyurea to be applied and tested on the trawler for one fishing season. It had performed quite well, so Kaldestad was enthusiastic about trying the coating on deck areas. There are areas on our boat where, during normal fishing and offload activities, a standard coating will be destroyed by the repeated impact of hard, heavy objects, he says. Once the coating is destroyed its hard to stop rust from spreading. Based on the test we conducted and the coatings performance characteristics, we are anticipating that EnviroLastic Polyurea will last for years without failing.
LEAPING IN

Pete Judt, Assistant Foreman, paint department at Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle.

Pete Judt, Assistant Foreman for Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle, and composite crew assistant foreman Ricky Roulst, have a combined total of more than 55 years of marine painting experience. They supervised a crew of up to 37 workers involved in the surface preparation and painting of the Alaska Ocean. The

SPONGING OFF

The deck areas being prepared for polyurea application were blasted to SSPC SP-10. On the decks, the crews utilized a Sponge-Jet system because it creates very little dust emissions and is more accessible in areas that contain machinery and other equipment.

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A high gloss, UVresistant top coating of Proline 4800 in Alaska Ocean Seafood Blue was applied to the freeboard.

About half of the decks are being blasted by Sponge-Jet to SSPC SP-10, while the remaining half are being prepared by power tool on active corrosion spots followed by spot priming and full topcoats, says Judt. The blast pots we are using are small, hand-load types while the metering valve is a small auger that feeds the sponge-impregnated media into the high-pressure air stream within the blast hose, Judt says. This system may seem slow, but there is very little equipment protection necessary compared to

conventional sandblasting. Containment is very easy and can be accomplished with simple tarping. Dust produced by the process is near zero, Judt says. The spent media doesnt travel very far from point of impact so it can be easily cleaned up. The sponge media is re-useable, and we are successfully using it several times over. EnviroLastic AL 450 SS polyurea was applied to approximately 7,100 square feet of the railings and steel decks of the Alaska Ocean. About half of the decks were done, based on prioritizing areas according to the most severe duty and in accordance with time and budget considerations, says Judt. One of the benefits of the 100-percent solids, aliphatic polyurea coating system is its relatively slow gel time that enables smooth applications at thicknesses ranging from 30 to 250 mils, while providing a seamless, flexible and waterproof coating solution that can bridge cracks to 1/8-in. This polyurea dries to touch in 30 seconds, stays a little soft for about two minutes, and can be safely walked on in about five minutes, says Judt, who notes that the crews achieved 60 to 80 mils dft. The polyurea application took place while other repair and equipment installation crews were working side-by-side on their respective tasks. With a substantial number of craftsmen concentrated into a small area, coordination of the deck painting became a challenge. Time is almost never available, Judt says. Polyurea cuts the cycle time significantly and ties in with Lean Manufacturing methods that are currently sweeping the nation. Conventional non-skid deck coating systems generally take three to four days to apply. As a result, the chances of damaging a freshly coated surface increase with longer drying times. According to Judt, the crews loved using the polyurea product because they were able to apply the fast-drying coating and not worry about rework caused by adjacent repairs, footprints, or rain. On one occasion, we painted a deck in a heavy downpour by building a tent to keep the deck dry, recalls Judt. The fast curing nature of the polyurea was what we needed to succeed, as conventionally cured coatings would have been damaged. The polyurea was applied to decks where fishing and offloading activities occur and

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frequently take a beating from crane hooks, steel blocks, shackles and huge, heavy nets, as well as trawl doors weighing several tons apiece that mar the decks surface. The crew used a Gusmer SPI 18/18 proportioning unit, D type spray gun, and 16 KW generator to power the heating units (pump and line) to maintain the 160 degrees F material application temperature. After learning about polyurea and the process at a National Shipbuilding Research Program meeting, Judt became certified to use the special application equipment. I brought the technology back to Todd Pacific Shipyards and installed 40,000 square feet on Todds dry docks during which time I trained several of my crew, he says, adding that dry docks are an even more severe work platform than fishing boats.
SINGLE SOURCING

surfaces of steel vessels operating in all coastal and oceanic waters, the ablative antifoulant coating maintains an effective, bioactive surface during its entire life and is formulated to wear away (ablate) during vessel movement. It stops build-up of marine growth, which in turn maintains ease of vessel movement through the water and ultimately improves fuel consumption, says Roulst, whose crews handled painting the bottom of the boat. A smooth hull glides through the water with little impedance, compared to a roughly surSherwin-Williams EnviroLastic AL 450 SS polyurea was applied to about 7,100 square feet of the steel decks and railings of the Alaska Ocean, providing excellent coating protection in highimpact areas.

Based on the maintenance requirements specified by the Alaska Oceans port engineer, the project incorporated several other coatings. One of our priorities was to have all of our coatings supplied from one source, says Kaldestad, so that we didnt have a problem trying to color match all the different coatings. SherwinWilliams was able to meet all of our needs. In fact, we were even able to use one type of primer for the whole boat, which really made things easier. Sherwin-Williams Seaguard 5000 HS Epoxy was used on all parts of the boat. The primer provides an anchor for the new polyurethane topcoat because of its excellent adhesive properties. It also becomes part of the preservation barrier, keeping moisture and chlorides away from the steel and aluminum surfaces, Judt explains. The companys Corothane MioAluminum was used to spot prime specific areas on the superstructure. This product has a combination of two excellent barrier-building pigments in a binder that enables it to cure well in humid conditions, says Judt. We applied it to specifically prepared spots as we worked through various areas. A topcoat of Seaguard Ablative Antifoulant, an antifouling coating containing cuprous oxide, was applied to the underwater hull. Recommended for the underwater

faced hull with shell growth. A finish coat of Proline 4800 in Alaska Ocean Seafood Blue was applied to the freeboard, while two coats of Prothane 4801 Gloss White were applied to the superstructure. Both coatings are high gloss, UV resistant and offer excellent color retention properties with no tendency to yellow in sunlight. While aesthetically pleasing, the coatings exhibit superior abrasion and splash resistance to alkalis (salts), acids (nonoxidizing), and hydraulic fluids. In addition, they provide a slick surface that promotes moisture barrier and prevents contamination build-up. The UV resistance feature extends the time it takes for the paint to chalk or break down, Judt explains. This breakdown allows moisture to eventually migrate to the substrate. Moisture, particularly salt water, becomes an electrolyte upon the surface of the metal substrate that initiates rust formation. Now back at sea, the Alaska Ocean proudly sports her new coat, while her owners can rest assured that their investment is being protected from corrosive salt water and other causes of deterioration. The men and women of Todd Pacific Shipyard worked hard to give this owner a high-quality product, says Judt.

Vent louvers were removed and sent through Todd Pacifics blast and paint yard.

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