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1st PRIMaRE conference, Plymouth, 04-05 June 2014

Gel-coating for marine structures. Zoltán Gombos and John Summerscales Advanced Composites Manufacturing Centre (ACMC) Centre for Advanced Engineering Systems and Interactions research group (CAESI) University of Plymouth. Abstract

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1st PRIMaRE conference, Plymouth, 04-05 June 2014

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  1. Gel-coating for marine structures ZoltánGombos and John Summerscales Advanced Composites Manufacturing Centre (ACMC) Centre for Advanced Engineering Systems and Interactions research group (CAESI) University of Plymouth Abstract Fibre-reinforced polymer composites are used in many applications in the marine environment because of their excellent durability. This performance is often enhanced by the use of a surface coating (normally an unsaturated polyester or vinyl ester polymer-rich gel-coat). Gel-coats have traditionally been applied by hand-painting or spraying which releases styrene (a reactive diluent in the resin) into the workplace and the environment. The FP7 InGeCt project has developed two in-mould gel-coating systems. This paper compares the conventional hand-painted gel-coating, in-mould gel-coating with a separator fabric (IMGC) and in-mould surfacing (IMS) with a silicone shim to establish if styrene levels can be significantly reduced by the adoption of closed mould systems. Hand-painted Separator fabric Silicone shim upper images : flat plate, lower: complex geometryNB: extended scales for hand-painted plates Table 1:  Styrene levels (andpercentage reductions) using the in-mould gel-coating techniques Conclusions The conventional hand-painted technology was found to have significantly higher levels of styrene emission than the two closed mould processes. For the open mould process, the average styrene levels were in the range 28-70 ppm. The two closed mould technologies significantly reduce the measured styrene levels to lie in the range 0.23–0.37 ppm. The new processes offer a reduction in average styrene emission levels of >98% (worst new/best old). This has obvious benefits for worker health and the reduction of environmental burdens. • Acknowledgement • This research is funded by the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme managed by REA-Research Executive Agency ([FP7/2007-2013] [FP7/2007-2011]) under grant agreement number FP7-SME-2011-1-286520. The partner companies were: • Alan Harper Composites (Cornwall) • Centro TessileCotoniero E AbbigliamentoSpA (IT) • De IJssel Coatings BV (NL) • KMT Nord APS (DK) • Lightweight Structures BV (NL) • SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden (SE) • Tessitura Valdolona SRL (IT) 1st PRIMaRE conference, Plymouth, 04-05 June 2014

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