MechChem Africa February 2017

⎪ Corrosion control and coatings ⎪

to the company’s advantage, whenpromoting its protective coating range. “This is already bearing fruit, as a large goldmining operation with mines in East, West and Central Africa nowspecifies PlasconProtective coatings for all of its processing plants.We have also been supplying products to mines in the Zambian copper belt for a number of years. Further expansion in Africa holds the potential for measurable growth.” “We are by far the biggest coatings manu­ facturer in Southern Africa, and we offer a one-stop shopping experience that our competitors cannot,” reveals Kansai Plascon national market manager for mining and mineralsandroadmarking,RolfRedelinghuys. He adds that technical strengthand capability also places Plascon ahead of the competition. “Our service is not just selling protective coatings, but doing specifications. We are experts as far as that is concerned.We do not just sell thepaint andwalkaway– there is sup- port provided throughout the process. Our technical teams undertake site visits to check if the product is applied correctly, especially when it comes to the corrosion protection,” he elaborates. Corrosion protection is expensive to ap- ply and, le Roux indicates: “It is essential to successfully complete the application of the coating on the first attempt. Bearing this is

mind, we provide extensive training tomining contractors at no additional charge. It’s all about the customers’ bottom line at the end of the day, and we are there to ensure that everything goes according to plan.” With regard to researchanddevelopment, Kansai Plascon boasts a state-of-the-art laboratory in Durban, KZN, which features dedicated teams working solely on industrial and protective coatings. “Our laboratory is world-class, therefore, most of our research and development is done locally, based on local customer requirements,” says le Roux. Kansai Plascon also boasts a strong net- work of distributors in sub-Saharan African regions such as Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, with plans to expand the network in East Africa andWest Africa. This networkwill enable the company todeliver its rangeof products in the quickest turnaround times. In challenging economic times, the current industry trend is to prioritise maintenance. Redelinghuys believes that this works to Kansai Plascon’s advantage. “Mining com- panies are moving towards optimising and conserving their assets, rather than replacing them with new ones. As a result, our sector sales have improved, and I am confident we will gain market share in the foreseeable future,” he concludes. q

compile reports onour findings, and thenpro- vide corrosion-protection solutions specific to each scenario,” Byrd explains. “We offer a 360° guarantee, in addition to monitoring all progress.” Specialist coating products supplied to this sector are Plascoline 1000 internal lin- ing, Plascotuff 3000 primer, Plascotuff MIO intermediate coating, and Plascothane 9000 topcoat. In addition, the Protective Coatings divisionoffers technical and aftermarket sup- port, as well as project management. “We go to great lengths to support and supply our customers, including newproduct developments. Kansai Plascon has always been at the forefront of coatings develop- ment, as we expand our product range with new technologies,” Byrd notes. “Our custom-made solutions extend the life of essential infrastructure in the petrochemical industry by protecting tanks, piping and structural steel from corrosion. By keeping such infrastructure serviceable, these operations run continuously, with no costly stoppages and downtime, which translates into constant production rates,” Byrd concludes. Turnkey coatings for the mining industry Despiteanongoingslumpintheminingsector, KansaiPlasconhasmaintaineditscompetitive edge as a leading paint supplier to the indus- try, thanks to the fact that it offers a 360-de- gree turnkey solution that is comprised of decorative products, mine marking products and protective coating products – all backed by dedicated after-sales support. Kansai Plascon is the market-leader in supplying decorative coatings and aero- sol marking paint to the mining industry. Decorativepaint products areusedonmining properties, which include staff houses, hos- tels andoffices, whilemarking paints areused at operational level in shafts. Kansai Plascon brand manager for industrial coatings, Mareta le Roux, says although the company boasts majority market share in these areas, there is still room for growth. “One area of mining that holds consider- able growth potential for us is corrosion pro- tection for processing plants such as smelters and concentrators. We are a relatively minor player in this field at present. However, the strategicfive-year plan in terms of resourcing, is to put a focus on corrosion protection for the inmine processing plants. Our protective coating products meet all industry require- ments, and it is now a matter of driving them forward,” she states. Over the years, Kansai Plascon has devel- oped fundamentally strong relationshipswith someof the largest names in theglobalmining industry. Le Roux believes that this will work

Kansai Plascon supervises bridge project in Lesotho Kansai Plascon has provided an on site monitoring ser- vice for a major bridge sandblasting project in Lesotho, which also used specialist products from its Protective Coatings division.

The project required sand blasting the steel bridge surfaces to ISO 8501 1:2007 (Sa 2½). This was followed by an application of a zinc rich epoxy primer and two coats each of Plascotuff Epoxy MIO Intermediate Coat and Plascothane 9000 Polyurethane Acrylic. “Our on site monitoring of the application involved spot checks on the surface preparation, aswell as dry film thickness (DFT) readings,” explains Mike Byrd, national protective coatings specification manager for Kansai Plascon.

The company had technical specialists on site for the project. The Protective Coatings division has had prior experience with bridge projects, which stood it in good stead in clinching the Lesotho contract. Byrd adds that the success achievedwith this particular project was also due toKansai Plascon’s 360° guarantee system, which involves the end user, applicator and the coatings manufacturer itself. Plascotuff EpoxyMIOIntermediateCoat is a two component polyamide epoxy contain- ingmicaceous (sparkling) iron oxide. It provides a high build barrier coating for protecting steel in aggressive conditions, as well as an abrasion resistant coat for shop coated steel. Plascothane 9000 Polyurethane Acrylic is a two component re-coatable polyurethane acrylic highperformancefinish– formaintenance andnewconstruction–withanexcellent decorative appearance. It features high gloss and colour retention, long term protection and durability and is available in a range of colours. An added benefit is that a high DFT thickness can be achieved with a single application. q

February 2017 • MechChem Africa ¦ 25