ARCTEC 28E Non-Slip Coatings
Overview
The durable non-slip ARCTEC 28E coating is a reinforced aluminium based anti-skid coating. Tested for durability and with comparable corrosion protection to 01E Aluminium, it is ideal for use in pedestrian and industrial flooring areas, bridge decks, escalators, steel floors and panels across a range of diverse industries.
Steel floors, decks and panels are used in many applications from train steps to oil platforms. Untreated, this steel can become very slippery, especially in wet conditions. In many applications, corrosion is also a hazard. Safe walking and industrial operating conditions are vital to personal safety and corporate productivity. ARCTEC 28E is a durable solution for all of these problems.
Why ARCTEC 28E?
Other Traditional Coatings
Traditionally, steel structures have been hot dip galvanised or painted to protect against corrosion.
- The disadvantage of hot dip galvanizing is that the surface can become slippery and it does not easily accept paint without the need for special primers.
- Painting this type of surface, which is sometimes applied with grit inclusions, also has its disadvantages. The surfaces can degrade quickly in heavy use, resulting in corrosion and an increased slip hazard.
Many large steel structures, including oil platforms, refineries and bridges, have been routinely protected against corrosion by thermal spray aluminium (TSA), zinc, or an alloy of the two. While providing unrivalled corrosion protection in very aggressive corrosive environments, pure TSA is not really durable enough to prevent long term wear on floor plates.
Why ARCTEC 28E is Better than Traditional Coatings
Ideally, steel structures need a durable coating that protects against both slip and corrosion and that’s exactly what the ARCTEC 28E coating does.
ARCTEC 28E coating is a thermally sprayed coating that can be applied with a rough texture and has excellent non-slip properties, while being extremely hard and resistant to wear. ARCTEC 28E coating:
- Provides a suitable level of grip, to avoid personal slips or industrial skidding
- Provides comparable corrosion protection to aluminium, as used in aggressive environments
- Has easy application by a long-standing process, covered by international standards
ARCTEC 28E Documents
Applications
- LNG Platfor Ridge Decks
- Loading Ramps
- Pedestrian Platforms and Gangways
- Pedestiran Walkways and Ramps
- Aircraft Carrier Decks
- Construction Projects
- Ferry Loading Ramps and Walkways
- Manhole Covers
- Train Steps
- Truck Tailgates
Industries Page
Testing
ARCTEC 28E Non-Slip and Durability Testing
To prove the durability of the ARCTEC 28E coating, it has been tested with a Pendulum Coefficient of Friction (CoF) tester, in accordance with independent British Standards and UK Health and Safety Executive guidelines. The HSE guidelines suggest that a floor coating with a Pendulum Test Value (PTV) greater than 36 will have a low slip potential in pedestrian areas.
Steel plates were sprayed to produce a surface texture that would wear well but not be too rough for pedestrian surfaces. If the surface has too much grip on pedestrian areas, it can cause a trip hazard. However, in some industrial applications, it is desirable and possible to spray a coating that has a rougher texture and more grip.
The coated plates were walked on by a standard shoe on a robotic walking machine. The plates were rotated after each step to simulate walking in a straight line and around corners.
The PTV was checked before walking and at 250,000, 500,000, 750,000 and 1 million steps. Sealed and unsealed plates were tested in wet and dry conditions.
ARCTEC 28E Corrosion Testing
ARCTEC 28E has undergone a range of accelerated corrosion testing. This offers a comparison of the performance between the new ARCTEC 28E coating and 99.5% aluminium that has offered corrosion protection for several decades in harsh, corrosive environments around the world.
Two tests were undertaken by an independent research laboratory:
- Galvanic corrosion tests for 1 week.
- Neutral salt spray corrosion tests for 1000 hours, performed in accordance with ASTM B117.
It was concluded that in both tests, the corrosion protection performance of the ARCTEC 28E was comparable to 99.5% aluminium, enabling confidence that the coating will provide excellent corrosion protection in harsh environments.
More Info: ARCTEC 28E Brochure
Packaging
ARCTEC 28E wire is a solid alloy wire that has tangible benefits. The material can be supplied with very accurate batch analysis certificates. The wire surface quality is excellent and very consistent, ensuring that the spraying of the wire is reliable and does not cause undue wear.
Spool MIG |
Wire Diameter |
Weight |
|---|---|---|
 |
11g (.091”) (2.3mm) | 13‑16 lbs (6‑7 kg) |
| 1/8” (3.2mm) | 22 lbs (10 kg) | |
| 3/16” (4.8mm) | 30 lbs (13.6 kg) |
How ARCTEC 28E is Applied
ARCTEC 28E is applied using the Arc Spray process.
Thermal spraying is a process of applying pure or alloyed metals as coatings onto a wide range of base materials. The metals applied are not paints with metal particles, but solid metals which are melted, atomized, and sprayed to make a coating.
The atomized molten metal particles cure instantly as they land on the base material which is normally grit blasted first. The grit blasted surface provides the perfect key to produce a well-adhered coating. For non-slip applications, the spray parameters are changed to create a variety of textured coating, suitable for public walkways through to fork lift loading ramps. In some applications, coatings are sealed after metal spraying.
As well as supplying the ARCTEC 28E material, we offer a complete range of thermal spray equipment to apply the finished coating and will be pleased to advise on your application.
In the arcspray process the raw material, in the form of a pair of metallic wires, is melted by an electric arc. This molten material is atomised by compressed air and propelled towards the work piece. Upon contact, the particles flatten onto the surface, freeze and mechanically bond, firstly onto the roughened substrate and then onto each other as the coating thickness is increased. Typically, metal sprayed corrosion protection coatings vary from 4 to 14 mils (100 to 350 microns).