A reputed Indian Fabricator company, makes large tanks, for storage of petroleum and petrochemicals. Plate for the tanks comes cut to size from their fabrication shop and shipped to the field site for assembly, the plate is welded by 7018 SMA electrode or GMAW.

Without the use of versatile rust preventive weldable primer, the unprotected plate edges rust quickly making for trouble during welding. Rusted plate edges need cleanup in the field, costly and time-consuming work. Supertech introduced a wonderful brush-on primer that prevents rust. The primer is an alumnized paint. It dries fast, forming a tenacious oxygen barrier film in minutes. Bloxide, made by the La-Co Industries Inc, (Formerly Tempil).

It does not interfere with welding and, in fact, serves as an anti-spatter agent. It also forms a foundation for other paints that protect against moisture and corrosion at atmospheric and high temperatures.

Back at the fabrication shop the workers remove oil and grease from plate edges, then brush on the primer. Once it dries, the plate edges will not rust even when stored outdoors for as long as 12 months. There is no requirement of buffing or grinding plate edges before field welding; and it doesn’t interfere with welding.