KCC, Joint Development of Solvent-Free Coating for Ship Interiors with Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and Hyundai Heavy Industries

Eco-friendly Solvent-free Coating 'Korepox H.B. EH3600' for Ship Interiors such as Living Quarters and Engine Rooms

KCC has secured differentiated eco-friendly competitiveness through the development of solvent-free coatings for ships. The photo shows an ore carrier of Polaris Shipping, the same type of vessel scheduled to apply the eco-friendly solvent-free coating. Photo by KCC

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] KCC has jointly developed an eco-friendly solvent-free coating, 'Korepox H.B. EH3600,' with Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and Hyundai Heavy Industries. The product has obtained fire-retardant certification for marine coatings, making it applicable to ship interiors such as living quarters and engine rooms. It is expected that the application of eco-friendly solvent-free coatings will expand to various parts of ships in the future.

Korepox H.B. EH3600, jointly developed by KCC, Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, and Hyundai Heavy Industries, is a medium-build solvent-free coating recommended and applicable as a standard specification for all steel structures in non-submerged areas of ships. While maintaining the excellent color retention and anti-corrosion properties of conventional solvent-based coatings, it has been transformed into a solvent-free coating without solvent components, which are a type of volatile organic compounds (VOC), significantly enhancing its eco-friendliness.

In particular, this product has obtained fire-retardant certification for marine coatings (IMO SOLAS: Fire-Retardant Certificate), making it applicable to living quarters where crew members work and live, as well as engine rooms where various equipment is installed. Its excellent fire-retardant performance prevents flames from spreading along coated surfaces in the event of a fire and reduces the risk of suffocation caused by toxic gases, ensuring the safety of crew members. It demonstrates stable physical properties in long-term marine environments and highly corrosive conditions, protecting steel structures while ensuring user safety.

Through the development of Korepox H.B. EH3600, KCC has secured a solvent-free coating product line that can be applied to all parts of ships, including submerged and non-submerged areas. Along with the solvent-free coating Korepox H.B. EH3000 for WBT (Water Ballast Tank) areas exposed to seawater immersion, it is expected that eco-friendly solvent-free coatings can be applied to various parts of ships.

Solvent-free coatings are eco-friendly products that eliminate the risk of fire accidents during painting work and reduce air and environmental pollution. However, due to technical difficulties in achieving uniform quality under various painting environments and shipbuilding conditions, they have not been commercialized. Nevertheless, KCC has overcome these technical limitations through long-term research and development, securing differentiated eco-friendly competitiveness along with standardization of various new ship solvent-free coating specifications.

A KCC official stated, "We plan to further expand solvent-free coating technology as a next-generation standard product for ships that not only meets the eco-friendly regulatory requirements under the Atmospheric Environment Conservation Act but also provides excellent physical properties, workability, and stability of the solvent-free coating product itself. We will also devote ourselves to developing eco-friendly technological products for environmental protection alongside securing the competitiveness of Korean shipyards."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.