Curing of zinc silicates in

warm humid climates

QUESTION:
We are about to submit a specification involving the standard system:
50 µm HEMPEL's GALVOSIL 15700 + 200 µm (incl. Mistcoat) HEMPADUR MASTIC 45881 + 50 µm
HEMPATHANE TOPCOAT 55210.
Application will take place somewhere in the Singapore region, probably Malaysia or Indonesia. As you
know, ambient conditions in this region are: 30°C and 85+ %RH.
Please confirm that a minimum recoating interval of 12 hours is OK for 15700 under these conditions.

ANSWER:
A minimum recoating interval of 12 hours is
generally not sufficient under the conditions
stated. It will inevitable result in flaking in the zinc
after some time in use.
To find the RH at the steel with a temperature of
e.g. 40°C/95°F, read the intersection between the
vertical "23 g line" and the horizontal "40°C line".
You should find just below 50%.

The 30°C/77°F and the 85% RH apply to the air.
For the curing of zinc silicate, you have to
consider the conditions at the steel surface,
where the zinc silicate is, and they are in general
quite different from those in the air.
At the atmospheric conditions 30°C, 85% RH, the
RH at a 40°C steel surface is lower than 50%,
and this is too low to provide any curing at all.

The steel temperature is typically higher than the

air temperature and the RH at the steel lower
than in the air!

This may be understood by the following

argumentation:

• If the steel has the same temperature as the

air, the RH at the steel will also be the same
as in the air.
• If on the other hand, the steel has a lower
temperature than the air, say equal to the dew
point or lower, the RH at the steel is 100%, in
other words higher than the RH in the air.
• Now, if the steel has a higher temperature
than the air, it will be the other way around:
The RH at the steel will be lower than in the
air.
And the higher the steel temperature
(difference to air temperature), the lower the
RH.
The question is; what is the RH at the steel?
In order to answer this, please consult your
Coating Adviser Handbook, page T6:
Figure 1; the Mollier diagramme
To ensure curing under such conditions, it is
necessary to water the zinc, and this shall be
done soonest possible, preferably 2-3 hours after
application.
You can easily check the effect of watering by
checking the state of curing.
See Application Instructions: "Curing time" and
"State of curing":
Checking the state of curing is strongly
recommended before overcoating, and the
conditions you are working in, makes it a must.

In the diagram on T6, follow the horizontal "30°C
line" to 85% RH, and go vertically up to read the
"water content": 23 g per kg air.
This is in other words the maximum amount of
water available per kg air at the conditions in
question.
If a recoating interval of minimum 12 hours is
necessary for the production flow, and assuming
a steel temperature of 40°C/95°F, you have to
keep the zinc silicate "dark grey wet" for about 6
hours.
Group TSD Centre/S. Pii Johannessen/
21.02.2001

HEMPEL