Concrete Adhesion and Difficult Cleaning
Mixer drums and related parts are continuously exposed to cement slurry, muddy water and alkaline media. Concrete adheres more readily when the coating is rough, has high surface energy or is insufficiently crosslinked. Repeated high-pressure washing then accelerates gloss loss, wear and local delamination.
Formulation Design
- Use a weatherable polyester system and reduce cement-slurry adhesion by controlling resin acid value, melt flow and surface orientation.
- Control wax or slip-additive loading to improve surface slip and cleanability without impairing intercoat adhesion.
Process Control
- Grind and dress welds, blowholes and weld spatter before coating to ensure a continuous pretreatment layer.
- Control film thickness and degree of cure; local undercure, orange peel or roughness increases contaminant retention.
- Validate repeated adhesion-and-rinse cycles with the actual concrete slurry rather than water alone.
Validation Focus
- Concrete pickup and residue after cleaning
- Alkali resistance and appearance after damp heat
- Adhesion after high-pressure wash cycles
- Change in surface gloss and abrasion