International Paints has introduced a water-based, weldable and overcoatable zinc silicate shop primer with zero VOC (volatile organic compounds).

“Unlike currently available water-based zinc silicate products which require specialised application equipment, Interplate Zero can be applied using standard airless spray as utilised by the majority of shop primer application facilities worldwide,” a company spokesman says.
Explaining the product’s features, he says it is a two-component material consisting of a dry powder that mixes easily into an opaque liquid binder, which can then by applied via standard airless spray. “Interplate Zero gives good atomisation, even coverage and excellent appearance at 0.6 mils dry film thickness,” he adds.
It contains a patented silica sol binder that cures by in-situ gel reinforcement technology. After application and drying, the spherical silica particles agglomerate forming a mechanically strong coating. Interaction with moisture from the atmosphere, rainwater or immersion in a plasma-cutting bath initiates further cure via a gel reinforcement process.
Interplate Zero gets hard dry within seconds after application at a steel temperature greater than 28 degrees C. Although a relative humidity of more than 50 per cent is required to reach full cure, the product provides good resistance to mechanical damage caused by conveyor rollers, electromagnetic cranes and stacking immediately after application.