Surface preparation:

MaxWax’s performance is directly affected by surface preparation. The cleaner the substrate, the better performance.  Coating integrity and service life will be reduced because of improperly prepared surfaces. Selection and implementation of the proper surface preparation ensures coating adhesion to the substrate and prolongs the service life. Selection of the proper method for surface preparation depends on the substrate, the contaminants on that substrate and the preparation resources available.  We recommend a minimum of a SSPC-SP1 over painted surfaces. For bare metal applications, we recommend a NACE #3/ SSPC-SP6. In basic terms, prepare your substrate so that it is free of corrosion, any element that can cause corrosion and any contaminant that will interfere with MaxWax bonding to the substrate.  Get it as close to bare metal as possible.  Most surfaces are some combination of bare and painted metal – a successful installation involves some combination of cleaning and abrasion as summarized below.

Painted surfaces’ substrate should be free of moisture, grease, oil, dirt, fingerprints, drawing compounds, rust inhibitors, or any other surface contamination that could affect adhesion.  SSPC-SP1:  Solvent Cleaning is a method for removing oil, grease, soil, drawing and cutting compounds and other soluble contaminants. Care should be taken to select a compatible solvent for the painted surface as to not disturb that substrate. Solvent cleaning does not remove rust, oxidized paint, mill scale or hard water deposits/stains directly although other mechanical processes may accomplish that while using a solvent cleaner. Change rags and cleaning solution frequently so that deposits of oil and grease are not spread over additional areas in the cleaning process. For complete instructions, refer to Society of Protective Coatings Surface Preparation Specification No. 1.
 
Bare metal surfaces: SSPC-SP6/NACE 3; ISO 8501-1 Sa 2, a commercial blast cleaned surface, should be free of all visible oil, grease, dirt, dust, mill scale, rust, paint, oxides, corrosion products and other foreign matter, except for staining - minor discoloration caused by stains of rust, stains of mill scale or stains of previously applied paint. Before blast cleaning, visible deposits of oil or grease shall be removed by any of the methods specified in SSPC-SP1. For complete instructions, refer to Joint Surface Preparation Standard SSPC-SP6/NACE 3 or ISO 8501-1 Sa 2. Care should be taken when to select compatible abrasives for the substrate to avoid introducing bimetal joints (imbedded metal contaminant which leads to pit corrosion).

 

 

Recommended cure time before second coat:

Approximately 30-60 minutes depending on temperature and humidity.  This time can be shortened to 15 minutes by force drying at approximately 65°C.

 

Recommended cure time before fixings fitted over to prevent “squashing out”:

Minimum of 60 minutes depending on temperature and humidity but I recommend waiting 24-hours if possible.  This time can be shortened to 15 minutes by force drying at approximately 65°C.  Note that MaxWax does not dry hard – it can be scraped when fully cured.  While the coating is robust and self-healing, care should be taken on any kind of abrasive load on fresh installations.

 

Recommended ambient temps for applying on vertical surfaces for both brush and aerosol spray.

MaxWax is fairly tolerant on installation to temperatures.  There is only concern in extremely elevated temperatures and hot surfaces (>45°C).  Application to hot surfaces should be avoided, if possible, as applying a consistent coating will become difficult. We have also found that an extreme temperature differential between product and substrate leads to poor adhesion.  The product and the substrate should be close to the same temperature on application.  If forced drying is utilized, it should be performed on the coating after installation.

 

What is the best practice for brush application e.g. use standard paint tray/container, are there any concerns with hardening whilst applying, product needs to be continually stirred to ensure its integrity etc.

MaxWax has a very good pot life.  During installation the product should be kept from direct sunlight and hot surfaces.  Stirring should not become necessary – if your pot life exceeds several hours and the product begins to skin, stir like standard paint mixing.  Typical installations do not have this concern.

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