Technical Product Information
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General Properties |
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ORMECONTM is the first representative of a new class of materials: the Organic Metals . The material, a polymer, is made up entirely of the elements carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and sulphur. Owing to its unusual chemical structure it possesses electrons that are freely mobile, as in a metallic conductor. This is what makes it electrically conductive.
Moreover, ORMECONTM behaves like a noble metal, with a potential that differs only slightly from that of silver.
ORMECONTM is also an extremely reactive material. It can exist in three different states, of which two are stable in air, but only one is metallic. They also have different colours: the normal, stable and only conductive form is green. An oxidised but stable form is blue, and a reduced form which is unstable in air is colourless spectral and structural information is available on request).
Since it does not change its structure on oxidation or reduction, it can act as a catalyst.
Basically, Organic Metals are neither soluble nor fusible. They can however be processed by means of dispersion for which extremely efficient and powerful techniques are necessary.
As soon as a direct conductive contact is established between ORMECONTM and the metal to be protected, a dual protective mechanism starts to take effect.
As a result of its noble-metal properties, ORMECONTM ennobles the surface of conventional metals such as iron, steel, aluminium or zinc. The same mechanism even comes into action on stainless-steel and copper surfaces. It shifts the corrosion potential in a more noble direction by up to 800 mV. As a result the metal is many times more difficult for corrosion to attack.
In parallel with this, a complex series of reactions take place at the boundary layer between ORMECONTM and metal, resulting in the formation of a defined, homogeneous, thin, but dense layer of metallic oxide (Fe2O3 on iron or steel).
This kind of self-protecting mechanism has hitherto been known only in aluminium, which protects itself against corrosion by forming a layer of Al2O3 on the surface. Since this metallic oxide layer exhibits a largely passive behaviour in relation to corrosive media and forms a chemical and physical barrier that is highly resistant to attack, it is known as a passive layer.
In this reaction with the surface of the metal, ORMECONTM acts as a catalyst, in other words it is not depleted, thereby ensuring its almost unlimited availability for creating or repairing the passive layer.
This behaviour pays dividends if the coating is damaged. If the damage site is less than 2 mm across, ORMECONTM can even extend the mechanism of ennobling and passivating into the damaged site to mediate the restoration of the passive layer. Thus it is effectively protected against corrosion attack.
The combination of the two protective principles, ennoblement and passivation of
metal surfaces, results in a massive reduction in the speed at which corrosion takes place. As a result, metals become more resistant to corrosion by a factor of between 5 and 10, and in laboratory tests by as much as 10 000 times.
Thus coatings with ORMECONTM - unlike conventional purely defensive barrier coatings - offer active protection.
Primer:
ORMECONTM can only come into action directly on the metal surface. For this reason it is present in all CORRPASSIVTM primers except CORRPASSIVTM INTER PRIMER.
For an optimal protective effect, the primer must be applied to absolutely bright metal surfaces in a film thickness of only 20 µm. Thanks to the new mode of action it is now finally possible to dispense with thick layers of paint.
Top coats:
To ensure that the outstanding efficiency of ORMECONTM is maintained in the long term, CORRPASSIVTM primers must be sealed with a top coat. The choice of this top coat depends on the demands of the situation and the use to which the metals are to be put. Synthetic resin and acrylic finishes are used for less demanding applications.
Where corrosion conditions are severe, two-component epoxy and two-component polyurethane systems are more suitable.
Two-component polyurethane coatings should only be used on an epoxy intermediate layer (e.g. CORRPASSIVTM INTER PRIMER).
A crucial factor that determines whether coating systems provide a maximum of corrosion protection is the compatibility of the various layers. The prime consideration is optimal bonding between the different products. While CORRPASSIVTM primers are suitable for universal use, they are not compatible with all other coatings. It is therefore important to observe the manufacturer's recommendations or to perform compatibility tests before embarking on large-scale application.
All complete coating systems recommended by Ormecon Chemie consist of Primer, intermediate coating if applicable and top coat.
Tests by leading independent institutes have shown that CORRPASSIVTM primers exhibit outstanding properties in relation to a variety of corrosion types on a number of different metals:
In a series of tests conducted by DECHEMA in Frankfurt/Main, for example, a coating system comprising CORRPASSIVTM Primer / epoxy top coat on steel satisfied all test criteria with regard to crevice corrosion, pitting and contact corrosion. By contrast, a conventional coating with epoxy zinc-rich primer / epoxy top coat on steel failed the test.
In a study by the FPL Research Institute for Pigments and Paints in Stuttgart, another system made up of CORRPASSIVTM Primer / epoxy top coat on aluminium displayed the best filiform corrosion results in the history of the institute. These findings are confirmed by an outdoor weathering test on treated aluminium plates which is still in progress.
Corrosion protection with ORMECONTM also offers excellent performance in environmental and cost-effectiveness terms:
In the Federal Republic of Germany some 4% of the gross national product (between 100 and 200 billion DM) is lost every year as a result of corrosion damage. Thanks to its outstanding efficiency ORMECONTM can make a major active contribution to reducing these losses.
Primers on the basis of this Organic Metal are absolutely free from heavy metals, making it possible to replace not only lead compounds, chromate treatments and chromate, but also the zinc-rich coatings that will in future be classified as containing heavy metals.
The product's great effectiveness combined with extremely small film thicknesses makes for major savings in materials and a substantial increase in repair intervals. This actively cuts consumption and reduces the associated constant application and removal of coatings.
These aspects have prompted the "Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt” (German Federal Foundation for the Environment) to support further development of coating systems for "Corrosion Protection with Organic Metals”.
A range of products and systems based on the Organic Metal ORMECONTM are available for various applications:
| Coating systems | Application |
| CORRPASSIVTM | Primer for iron and steel |
| CORRPASSIVTM ALU | Primer for aluminium and zinc-coated surfaces |
| Skippers CORRPASSIVTM | System for underwater and above-water use on steel vessels |
| Skippers CORRPASSIVTM ALU | System for underwater and above-water use on aluminium vessels |
| CORRPASSIVTM 4003 | Product for coating metallic bulk goods |
| CORRPASSIVTM 4900 | System for industrial applications |
ORMECONTM in aqueous systems:
Water-based primers are currently under development.
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Picture 1: St-14 panel Left: two-component epoxy primer Both sides were coated with an identical two-component epoxy top coat and damaged with a defined scratch of 1 mm width. |
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Picture 2: St-14 panel after 300 hours in permanent immersion test (DIN 50905 T4) in 3% NaCl solution Left: heavy rust formation in the damaged site |
The following additional information is available:
ORMECONTM is a registered trademark of
Zipperling Kessler & Co., Ahrensburg
CORRPASSIVTM is a registered trademark of Zipperling Kessler & Co.,
Ahrensburg
Ormecon Chemie GmbH & Co. KG
A Subsidiary of Zipperling Kessler & Co. (GmbH & Co.)
Ferdinand-Harten-Str. 7, D-22949 Ammersbek, phone: +49-40-604 106-0, fax: +49-40-604
106-51
