12-year test proves PPA 571 is ideal for harsh environments
Claims made for the long-term adhesion, UV and salt spray resistance of Plascoat's PPA 571 thermoplastic construction coating have been upheld in the toughest of 12-year tests in Spain. Twelfth anniversary checks on the supports and tubular structures of the Pasarela Pealonal de Anorga, a 25-metre local authority footbridge over a railway line in the Northern coastal town of San Sebastian, showed the PPA 571 coating to be "still perfect". The authorities originally wanted the coating to stop vandals carving their names on the structure, but in the event it has proven to be an excellent test site for PPA 571. It has of course been subjected to a salty atmosphere in sun and rain over 12 years. The green structure in the picture was coated in PPA 571 in 1990, whilst the red handrails were originally polyester coated.

You can see that the PPA 571 coating still looks like new whilst the handrails have had to be repainted three times. In addition here is an area that was deliberately un-coated. You can see that after 12 years by the sea there is no under-film corrosion or blistering. The Northern Spanish experience supports earlier performance data from sites around the world, including the harsh environment of the Arizona desert. Here PPA 571 has overcome a chronic leakage problem on a ferric cure line in the copper leaching operations of the Cyprus Miami Mining Corporation. The pipes and couplings have to contend with the internal corrosive effect of a cure solution containing sulphuric acid and chlorides as well as external environmental extremes including temperatures in excess of 40°C.

Plascoat PPA571 in construction projects
Plascoat has been involved in major construction projects around the world where a highly durable, long lasting and resilient finish is among the criteria for the specifying architects - along with, of course, the requirement for superior corrosion protection for the metal. Traditional coating materials such as EVA and polyamides have, on many occasions, failed to live up to the expectations in countries that put coatings to stern tests.

Projects like the footbridge in Angora near San Sebastian in Northern Spain required a new type of coating as, after only a few months, the polyamide coating began to peel from the sections. The search was on for a coating that could accommodate the wide temperature range, provide a high level of UV protection, meet the requirements of a tightening budget, and offer a coating life in excess of 10 years. Plascoat PPA 571 was the answer with its high level of durability and weatherability and long term adhesion to both steel and aluminium.