Materials Performance Magazine

A new partnership was recently announced between Mopeka (New Braunfels, Texas, USA), a global leader intank monitoring and cathodic protection solutions, and Metsa Tanks (Nuevo León, México), a North American manufacturer and distributor of propane tanks. Under this arrangement, propane marketers can get superior underground tanks and the peace of mind of cathodic monitoring at one stop, according to the announcement.

A research team led by the University of Virginia (UVA) (Charlottesville, Virginia, USA) has developed new protective coatings that they believe will allow turbine engines to run at higher temperatures before components begin to fail. “Hotter engines are more efficient,” says Elizabeth J. Opila, professor and chair of UVA’s materials science and engineering department and a lead researcher on the project.

Materials Performance contains a lot of high-quality technical articles that explore some of the fundamentals about corrosion, coatings, and engineering materials. This article will not be one of them. The following is a collection of observations over 32 years of working with protective coatings. When young professionals enter the corrosion coatings industry, it can be both intimidating and confusing.

What if a robot powered by artificial intelligence (AI) could scan every surface of any dirty object (such as a rusty hammer, or a mud-covered vehicle)? This could enable precise, automated decision-making to uniformly waterblast that object to a clean shine. In early 2024, the top testing office within the U.S. Pentagon—the Director of Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E)—released its annual report. According to technology company Oceanit Laboratories, Inc.

Researchers at Northeastern University’s Roux Institute (Portland, Maine, USA) say they have developed a groundbreaking approach to designing new materials using artificial intelligence (AI). The innovative method, which focuses on making the process both more data efficient and easier to interpret, could lead to better materials for industrial applications like corrosion protection and clean energy technologies.

Over the past few decades, consumers have observed many different iterations of waterborne coatings get introduced to the market. Today, waterborne coatings represent the largest class of coatings used globally. Perhaps it is this great familiarity that many have with waterborne coatings being used for less severe conditions that leads many to believe that water-based coatings cannot be used in high performance environments.

Theo Knijff, owner and founder of KAI-Con and a former manager at Dow, has spent his industry career tackling problems related to corrosion under insulation (CUI). CUI is widely viewed around the world as one of the biggest asset integrity threats in the petrochemical industry, and it is considered the largest contributor to maintenance budgets.

Protective coatings innovator Steelpaint GmbH (Kitzingen, Germany) is urging shipowners, shipyards, and port authorities with steel assets to prioritize surface preparation. In an advisory, the company warns that skimping on this critical step in the application process is leading to premature coating failures, costly repairs, and increased safety risks.

Coatings, adhesives, and sealants provider Gaco (Nashville, Tennessee, USA) is launching a broader identity to bring its entire portfolio under the Gaco name. According to the company, this strategic move is intended to leverage Gaco’s strong market position and customer-first reputation to unify its offerings under a clear, cohesive brand architecture.

The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP (Park Ridge, Illinois, USA) announced that it has published a new national voluntary consensus standard for safety training on construction and demolition sites, which are among the most hazardous work environments.