Electrocoat Preventing Concrete Cancer

Q. We have seen/heard that e-coat is being used for the coating of steel reinforced mesh for use in concrete in the US for the prevention of concrete cancer. We are an Australian company based in Sydney supplying e-coat as a service to industry and we would like to see E-coat included into the Australian standard for this application. Do you have any info on this topic or know of someone who would? C.C.

A. My experience in coating mesh for concrete reinforcement was many years ago and used the same yellow-green epoxy powder used on re-bar. It is my understanding that the re-bar produced in the US goes from “scrap cars to coated re-bar” in a single process. The same yellow-green epoxy powder is used but is cured as it exits the steel manufacturing process using residual heat from the steel. This process would make e-coat fairly hard to compete with powder as a continuous process.
Another challenge for an alternative coating to powder is the testing and approval process with the Department of Transportation (DOT) for highway use. However, the mesh you mentioned may be a way to get into the industry. Many mesh panels are used in buildings and parking structures where concrete panels are used. e-coat will provide corrosion protection in these panels versus uncoated steel
mesh.

I will also have one of the US e-coat suppliers contact you to see if you might be able to crack the market in Australia. You might want to approach some architects that design buildings or parking structures using precast panels.