How Polysiloxane Coatings Protect and Improve Surface Performance
Posted Jun 29, 2020 by Dave Scaturro
Key Takeaways
- Polysiloxane coatings are valued for long-term protection against corrosion, UV exposure, abrasion, and chemical wear in demanding environments.
- Their chemistry helps them hold color and gloss well over time, which makes them useful when both appearance and durability matter.
- These coatings are often used on tanks, bridges, industrial structures, and other assets that need lasting performance with lower maintenance demands.
When polysiloxane coatings were introduced 25 years ago, they set a standard for performance that remains unsurpassed today. With their exceptional color/gloss retention and superior resistance to corrosion, UV light, abrasion and chemicals, polysiloxane coatings became the industry choice for protection of water tanks, storage tanks, smokestacks, oil platforms, bridges and any other infrastructure applications such as amusement parks, sports stadiums, cargo ships, fleets, construction equipment, and other vessels. So how exactly does this specific coating protect and beautify? Allow us to explain below.
STRONGER BONDING FOR BETTER PERFORMANCE
The secret to the performance of polysiloxane coatings can be found in their chemistry—a string of powerful silicon-oxygen bonds. When polysiloxane polymers are created, each silicon atom is bonded to two or three oxygen atoms, causing the silicon to be 50-75% oxidized when the coating is formulated.
Because this oxidation is built into their formulation, polysiloxane coatings are inherently less vulnerable to environmental hazards than epoxy- and acrylic-urethane coatings, which are based on weaker carbon-carbon bonds. The chemistry of polysiloxane coatings yields health and environmental benefits, too, including the absence of isocyanates and low VOC content. Due to its extremely low-VOC content, the coating meets strict Greenguard emissions criteria for interior spaces.
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