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