HARSH ENVIRONMENT COATINGS HISTORY An address prepared for t SCANZ 2003 Conventi by Peter Walte
May 18, 2015
HARSH ENVIRONMENT
COATINGS HISTORY
An address prepared for theSCANZ 2003 Convention
by Peter Walters
PREHISTORIC CAVE PAINT
~30,000 BP
• Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc cave
~30,000 BP
• Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc cave
• No binder or mixed with clay wall
~30,000 BP
• Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc cave
• No binder or mixed with clay wall
• Charcoal & mineral oxides
~30,000 BP
• Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc cave
• No binder or mixed with clay wall
• Charcoal & mineral oxides
• Applied by hand or charcoal stick
~17,000 BP
• Lascaux cave
~17,000 BP
• Lascaux cave• Natural
manganese and iron oxide pigmentation
~17,000 BP
• Lascaux cave• Natural
manganese and iron oxide pigmentation
• No binder
~17,000 BP
• Lascaux cave• Natural
manganese and iron oxide pigmentation
• No binder• Applied by
horsehair brush
FIRST RECORDED
MARINE COATING
~6,000 BP
• Noah’s ark
~6,000 BP
• Noah’s ark• Earliest written
account of coating
~6,000 BP
• Noah’s ark• Earliest written
account of coating
• Natural pitch
~6,000 BP
• Noah’s ark• Earliest written
account of coating
• Natural pitch• Had to last at
least 190 days
~5,000 BP
~4,000 BP
~2,000 BP
THE MODERN
ERA
1777-1779
• First iron bridge
1777-1779
• First iron bridge• 1787: Deep lead
colour for iron
1777-1779
• First iron bridge• 1787: Deep lead
colour for iron• 1950: 3 coats
bituminous paint
1777-1779• 1787: Deep lead
colour for iron• 1950: 3 coats
bituminous paint• 1980: 5 coats,
Tung oil phenolic MIO finish
1777-1779• 1980: 5 coats,
Tung oil phenolic MIO finish
• 1999: two contrasting colour coats of urethane alkyd MIO finish
28th December 1879Tay Bridge Disaster
21/12/1882 - 5/3/1890 First Substantial Steel Structure
Quebec Bridge1917
21/12/1882 - 5/3/1890 First Substantial Steel Structure
1887Supports Reach Intended Height
• All steelwork was scraped down and dipped in hot boiled linseed oil at the workshop
1888 - 1889Cantilever Arms Extended From Base
• Dipped in hot boiled linseed oil
• 1 coat red lead in linseed oil primer
SEPTEMBER 1889Cantilever Arms Almost Touching
• Dipped in hot boiled linseed oil
• 1 coat red lead in linseed oil primer
• Interiors: 2 coats white lead paint
6 NOVEMBER 1889Cantilevers Touch
• Dipped in hot boiled linseed oil
• 1 coat red lead in linseed oil
• Externals: 2 coats Forth Bridge red oxide of iron
5 MARCH 1890Firth of Forth Rail Bridge Inaugurated
FORTH BRIDGE RED OXIDE OF IRONUsed until Mid 1970’s
Finest Quality Spanish Red Oxide(Minimum 88% Fe2O3)
68%Boiled Linseed Oil 28%
Turpentine & Driers 4%
Volume Solids = 95%
FORTH BRIDGE RED OXIDEUsed mid 1970’s to mid 1990’s
Styrenated Alkyd Industrial Enamel Red Oxide
Volume Solids = 65%
Forth Bridge Maintenance
Painters at work in the 1950s
Painters at work today
Repainting the Forth Bridge
THE END
References (1/2):
• www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/arcnat/chauvet/en/• www.culture.fr/culture/arcnat/lascaux/en/index3.html• The New English Bible, Oxford University Press 1970.• www.scotland.gov.uk/pages/news/junior/jxa_12.aspx.• www.forthbridges.org.uk/railbridgemain.htm.• By e-mail in private communication with Colin
Mitchell-Rose from Craig & Rose Ltd.• www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/wonder/structure/
firth_of_forth.html.• www.lawrieweb.com/ea/ea02.html
Reference (2/2):
• History of Painting by Russ Godfrey. The New Zealand Painter & Decorator, August 1991, P.16.
• PCI, Paint & Coatings Industry. Century of Paint. January 2000, pp 54.• www.cyber-antiques.net/ironbridge.htm• www.virtual-shropshire.co.uk/ironbridge-tour/025c.htm• By e-mail in private communication with David de Haan, Deputy Director,
Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust.• www.heritage.scotsman.com• Things we Need - Paint• www.goldengate.org• Chinese lacquer: an age-old polymer. Shell Polymers Vol 6, No 2 1982.• filebox.vt.edu/users/aschaeff/tay/tay.html• www.ironbridge.org.uk