Huntsman Polyurethanes and Grupo Julio Crespo (GJC) create new coatings to ‘tap’ into Spain’s water industry

Huntsman Polyurethanes is working with leading anti-corrosion specialist, Grupo Julio Crespo (GJC), to develop a new portfolio of approved, advanced polyurea coating solutions for use in a range of applications including the Spanish water industry.

Polyurea-based coatings provide excellent resistance to salt water, microbial attack and chemicals, making them ideal for use in the water purification industry. Through its sister company Pinturas Cillada, GJC has developed a new range of polyurea-based products containing SUPRASEC® isocyanate and JEFFAMINE® chemical components from Huntsman Polyurethanes.

In North America, polyurea-based solutions are already widely used for waterproofing membranes and tough linings in place of epoxy, acrylic and polyurethanes coating products. Although polyurea-based coating products are fairly new to Spain, the application opportunities are vast.

Jose Cordobes, Commercial and Technical Director for GJC, commented; “Until now polyurea-based coatings have primarily been used for concrete applications in Spain because of their fantastic elongation characteristics. However, working closely with Huntsman Polyurethanes, we are pursuing ISO10290 certification of our systems so they can be specified for use in the Spanish water industry. Polyurea combines high abrasion, tensile and impact resistance with temperature stability and resistance to many chemicals, hydrolysis, weathering and ageing, making it a perfect solution for the Spanish water industry. Its short gel cure times means rapid processing, resulting in significantly reduced start-up times for new installations, or a fast return to service for restoration or repair projects.”

One project that could benefit from the ISO certification and approval of GJC Huntsman-based products is an ambitious scheme to ease the drought crisis in Spain through the sustained supply of clean water tapped from the sea. The project will require the installation of steel pipes to carry salt water to special desalinisation plants and then on to the end-users. Ensuring the pipes can be operated trouble-free and for extended periods of time is vital; therefore durable protection of the pipes against corrosion is essential. Polyurea-based protective coatings would provide the ideal solution for this project.

Polyurea spray coatings are solvent and catalyst free two-component systems that combine the advantages of easy processing with excellent protection properties. Using different chemical components, GJC can create bespoke coating solutions with specific performance characteristics.

Ian Rimmer, Coatings Manager – Europe, from Huntsman Polyurethanes commented; “In the short term three-layer solvent-free epoxy coatings may appear to be cheaper, however polyurea-based protective coatings offer long-term performance and over time, are a far more cost effective investment. The Spanish market is slowly recognising the advantages of using polyurea-based solutions and GJC and Huntsman Polyurethanes are positioned to lead developments in this area.”