Facilities

• KSC Beachside Corrosion Laboratory
• Beachside Atmospheric Test Facility
• Atmospheric Test Facility
• Flowing Seawater Test Facility
• On-Site Electrochemistry Laboratory and Monitoring Station
• Coatings Application Laboratory
• Accelerated Corrosion Testing

Coatings Application Laboratory

Candidate coating test panels are prepared in the laboratory to evaluate ease of application and assess potential difficulties with the coating process.

Capabilities

Most coatings are delivered as wet samples from suppliers and manufacturers. Manufacturer’s recommendations are used to prepare and apply the coatings using industry standard spray techniques. Variations in humidity and temperature are eliminated by applying candidate coatings indoors in a temperature controlled paint spray booth. Variations in application are minimized by using the same painter for all candidate coatings.

The laboratory is equipped with spray guns, various combinations of fluid needles, fluid nozzles, and air caps suited for spraying materials of varying viscosities.  Many application techniques, including conventional spray, HVLP spray and plural component spray, are available.

An inventory of standard steel and aluminum test panels is maintained. Carbon steel test panels are normally composite panels that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of coatings applied over edges, weld spatter, and in crevices. Custom panel configurations can be designed to meet any specific testing requirements.

Surface preparation of steel panels is performed using abrasive blasting. Carbon steel panels are blasted to white metal (SSPC-SP-5) to remove any mill scale and weld slag. This allows comparison with the results of previous tests conducted using the same surface preparation procedure. Other methods of surface preparation such as grinding, anodizing of aluminum, etc., can be performed when necessary.