One of the issues that comes with the colder fall and winter weather is unwanted ice formation. Water freezing on surfaces can cause any number of problems, including icicles falling on roads or personnel, freezing water in crevices damaging concrete tanks and walls, and ice formation on bridges creating unsafe conditions.
There aren’t many easy-to-use icephobic multi-surface solutions out there for plant and facility managers to utilize… except for Syneffex™ coatings that offer the ability to reduce ice formation.
Because our coatings are naturally hydrophobic (water repelling) it makes them a perfect anti-icing solution for many types of surfaces.
Which product is best for which surface types?
- Metal surfaces: Use Nansulate™ Translucent PT
- Non-Metal surfaces: Use Energy Protect™
Use Syneffex™ Coatings to Help Solve Ice Formation Issues
1. Concrete Tanks
Small crevices in concrete tanks allow in moisture. When that moisture freezes it expands, causing the tank to become damaged as the concrete is pushed apart by the ice.
Coating the exterior of the tank with 2 coats of Energy Protect™ (or more if you’d like to insulate too) can keep the moisture from getting into this crevices, so there are no ice issues once the weather drops below freezing.
2. Overhead Tunnels and Structures
The first anti-icing test that was performed on our coatings was a multi-season test by the company that runs the UK’s rail system. They were spending millions of dollars a year removing icicles from the ceiling of tunnels and other overhead areas to avoid them falling onto the tracks and potentially causing derailment.
Syneffex™ Energy Protect™ coating passed their testing with flying colors, helping to reduce the formation of the dangerous icicles and saving them a substantial amount of money.
If you have any overhead areas that also have a problem with large icicles forming in the winter, coating them with Syneffex™ coatings could significantly improve facility safety during the winter.
3. Pipe Bridges
Pipe bridges, also known as pipe racks, are structures designed to support multiple pipes. They’re typically outdoors and allow piping to be run from one building to another. When ice forms on these bridges it can add excess weight, which could cause the pipe bridge to fall.
Nansulate™ Translucent PT can be used to coat the entire pipe bridge structure to reduce the chance of ice forming and weighing the pipe bridge down.
Looking for Anti-Icing Solutions?
It’s not too late in most cities to coat areas for ice protection before freezing winter temperatures hit. Just give us a call at 800-858-3176 or reach out online with your project details and we’ll get you a recommendation and product solution right away.
