Barge ballast tank protected with CIP

We have received some great before and after shots from the team at Owatrol International of a project in Sweden to protect a rusted barge ballast tank with Corrosion Inhibiting Primer (CIP) which is a rust inhibiting primer for single and 2-pack paints and finishes.

CIP is perfect for marine and other harsh environments and can be used on both new and rusted surfaces (both interior and exterior, horizontal and vertical). CIP contains the anti-corrosive properties of Owatrol Oil  which enable it to stabilise the surface by penetrating deep into the substrate to form a solid, stable layer.

Using CIP to protect a cargo boat

CIP is easy to use and does not require sand or shot blasting first. It will not dissolve or break down when even high solvent paints and finishes are applied to it and the pigmentation provides enhanced protection and perfect film-forming qualities. Below you can see some before shots of what the boat hull looked like before the project began:

The initial surface preparation involved removing loose and flaking rust and old paint back to a sound surface but CIP does not require sand or shot blasting first so this is fairly minimal work. The customer first cleaned the tank with a water pressure gun at 500 kBar to remove previous paint, dirt and grime. They then applied a single coat of CIP (please note that we would normally recommend 2 coats in this situation) to the entire surface of the ballast tank. The customer reported the coverage for this project at 15m² per litre.

The standard application process for CIP is so simple – first prepare the surface, then apply the CIP! Depending on the state of the surface, you need to follow a slightly different process:

• New surfaces – Prime with 1 coat of Owatrol CIP (for aggressive climatic conditions apply 2 coats)
• Clean, lightly rusted or new unpainted rusty steel – Apply 2 coats of Owatrol CIP
• Old or severely rusted surfaces – Either apply 3 coats of Owatrol CIP or apply wet on wet applications of Owatrol Oil until the rust is fully saturated and allow to dry for 24 hours and then apply 2 coats of Owatrol CIP
• Previously coated surfaces – First spot prime all exposed metal with 2 coats of Owatrol CIP and then apply a 3rd coat over the entire area

The end result – ballast tank protected with CIP

The results from the barge ballast tank CIP project are pretty impressive:

We hope you found this post on a barge ballast tank protected with CIP interesting. If you have any other advice or top tips, please feel free to leave them in the comments below. We love hearing from you!

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