"fEVE based coating systems: Protecting Steel Bridges for over 30 years"

Abstract

Fluoro Ethylene Vinyl Ether (FEVE) resins were commercialized by AGC in 1982 under the brandname Lumiflon as the first soluble fluorinated resins for coating formulations. FEVE resins are renowned for their extremely high durability due to the high C-F bond energy. Therefore, they do not degrade under the influence of UV radiation from the sun. Coatings based on FEVE resins show outdoor durability performance of over 30 years. This paper discusses the basic chemistry behind the extreme durability of Lumiflon based coating systems. Two case studies of actual steel bridge applications will be shown. The Daiichi-Mukaiyama bridge, which was newly constructed and coated in 1987, and the Tokiwa bridge, which was recoated with a Lumiflon based system in 1986. Through these examples, this paper demonstrates that FEVE based coated systems provide the best possible protection of steel bridges.