Citation
(2015), "Nano-clear® coating restores color and gloss back into highly oxidized carnival life-boats", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 62 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ACMM.12862caa.003.html
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Nano-clear® coating restores color and gloss back into highly oxidized carnival life-boats
Article Type: Methods From: Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Volume 62, Issue 3
Ship owners and operators spend a great deal of money and time maintaining their vessels and lifeboats to the highest quality standards, but are often let down by poor appearance. Conventional marine paints and gel coatings are highly susceptible to ultraviolet (UV) damage, causing the surface to oxidize and loose color over time. Lifeboats are designed to have a bright and glossy appearance for improved safety and visibility, but become dull and less visible over time due to UV damage.
In late 2014, Nanotech Marine Services, based in the UK conducted a field application trial aboard the Queen Elizabeth Ship using Nano-Clear® Coatings manufactured by Nanovere Technologies in Brighton, MI, USA. The purpose of the trial was to provide a long-term solution to the gel-coat oxidation issue on the ships lifeboats and tenders, as the orange gel-coat on these vessels are continually exposed to high levels of UV and fade rapidly. This paint oxidation issue has proven to be difficult to overcome including continuous polishing of the surface or a costly new paint job.
Nano-Clear® Coating was applied to the gel-coat surface, and left to weather for several months aboard the Queen Elizabeth while operating in the Mediterranean. The field trial represented real world conditions and proved that a polished surface using the traditional cut-and-polish approach, fails surprisingly fast when exposed to harmful UV rays. The test patches coated with Nano-Clear® Coating showed “no” deterioration in gloss or color as compared with the surrounding area showing a dull surface that will continue to oxidize over time.
Due to the outstanding success of the Nano-Clear® trials on the Queen Elizabeth, Nanotech Marine secured the restoration of 18 lifeboats aboard Queen Victoria. Carnival Cruise Lines is also implementing Nano-Clear® Coatings to restore their entire fleet of lifeboats starting with 26 aboard the Cruise Ship Azura in 2015. Nano-Clear® Coatings provide ship operators, maintenance yards and super yacht owners with a tested and practical solution to restore and maintain high value assets to the highest gloss level for many years.
Nano Clear is the only marine coating in the global market place to enhance, restore and extend the service life of newly painted or highly oxidized painted surfaces by 10 years. Nano-Clear® penetrates deep into the smallest pores of paint, enhancing the underlying color, dramatically improving gloss, scratch resistance, corrosion resistance and extending UV resistance, while reducing surface cleaning by 50 per cent. Nano-Clear® eliminates the need to re-paint, color match or polish gel-coatings, thereby reducing material, labor and maintenance costs. Nano-Clear® Coatings have been validated by leading global organizations including the USA Army, Carnival Cruise Lines, Princimar Chemical Carriers, Toshiba Industrial Products and leading tank car manufactures.
More information is a vailable from: http://www.nanocoatings.com (Figure 1).
Figure 1 Carnival Cruise Lines implementing Nano-Clear® Coatings to restore their entire fleet of lifeboats