Retail, trade, industrial and furniture coatings markets supplier Kansai Plascon launched its liquid petroleum gas (LPG) coating for the LPG market in May 2015, and expansion of the range is imminent, as interest this year has exceeded expectations.

Kansai Plascon industrial and protective coatings brand manager Mareta le Roux explains that the coating has unique properties that assist in streamlining the production and maintenance of gas cylinders.

“The LPG coating is a direct-to-metal application, has great aesthetic appeal and dries within minutes. It was developed to be applied using a conventional spray application, but can also be applied using a brush or roller application.”

Le Roux notes that the LPG coating is ideal for use in the manufacturing of any mild steel goods produced by original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs). She notes that the applications of the coating reach far beyond just the gas cylinder market as it is a high-quality premium coating.

She further points out that, in most cases, the coating circumvents the need for using a two-product primer and topcoat system. Its direct-to-metal application means that the coating has built-in primer properties, such as adhesion promotion to the substrate, and corrosion protection. It can also be used as a topcoat over most primers if long-term guarantees are required.

Therefore, this product will be available as a tint base system in future; it can, thus, be supplied to OEMs in hundreds of different colours through Kansai Plascon’s distributor network.

Owing to exceedingly expensive direct-to-metal products on the market, Kansai Plascon developed the LPG coating to address specific needs in the market in terms of performance and cost.

Le Roux asserts that, before implementing this coating, a trained technical sales consultant will visit the OEM and inspect the setup, after which a recommendation will be made to ensure that the application is implemented successfully.

The surface being coated needs to be dry, clean and firm before the LPG coating can be applied, she points out.

Since its launch, the coating has been supplied to the manufacturing industry for mining equipment, where high volumes of goods are manufactured and a quick turnaround time is needed. The product has subsequently been modified further to provide it with electrostatic properties. “The end result has been huge savings on application costs by the clients,” states Le Roux.

The company notes that the LPG coating was developed at the company’s Mobeni laboratory, in Durban. The laboratory focuses on the development of industrial and protective coatings and is supported by the Kansai Plascon Research Laboratory at Stellenbosch University.