Choose the right coating for the job.
Research shows that coated CSP can provide a service life of up to 100 years for a wide range of environments and applications. Ontario Agra offers three factory-applied finishes to accommodate the wide variety of performance and hydrology considerations: Galvanized, Aluminized Type 2, and Polymer-Laminated.
Galvanized
Z610 Galvanized steel is the standard finish for all CSP and performs well in low-abrasion conditions. This continuous galvanized coating is applied under strict quality control procedures to provide excellent bonding to the steel. Its hotdip-zinc coating is reactive to water environments and is positively affected by higher levels of Calcium Carbonate CaCO3 (hardness) in the water, which can actually increase service life as calcium is attracted to the galvanized surface and forms an additional protective mineral scale. Galvanized coatings have proven their performance through many years of field application. Many Canadian sites have relatively neutral conditions and the galvanized zinc coating is sufficient. An environmental assessment will help to confirm this.
Aluminized Type 2
For more corrosive environments, Aluminized Type 2 coating offers the superior corrosion resistance and surface characteristics of aluminum with the strength and economy of steel. In this process, a commercially pure aluminum coating is uniformly applied to both sides of the steel, forming a strong bond between the metals. A hard aluminum-iron alloy layer, just below the aluminum coating, provides further protection. Aluminized Type 2 CSP can provide a 75-year service life in a low-abrasion environment with pH between 5 and 9 and resistivity above 1,500 ohm-cm. CaCO3 (hardness) levels do not affect service life.
Polymer-Laminated
Polymer Laminate is a tough, heavy-gauge film that is laminated to both sides of galvanized steel to produce a corrosion and abrasion barrier for the most aggressive environments. Thick Polymer Laminate is engineered to bond chemically and physically to galvanized steel to become an integral part of the galvanized surface that resists delamination, even under harsh conditions. Experienced Polymer laminators have been coating galvanized steel for over 40 years to create CSP that outlasts and outperforms concrete pipe and other materials in test after test. Polymer-Laminated CSP will stand up to aggressive conditions with high concentrations of acids and alkalis to extend the environmental limits and life expectancies of where traditional galvanized CSP can be used. It performs well in both corrosive and moderate abrasion environments and provides a service life beyond 100 years if pH is between 5 and 9 and resistivity is above 1500 ohm-cm. Service life is not affected by the CaCO3 (hardness) level of water.