LATEST NEWS...

NORSOK Approval for Zinga (April 2007)
After many months of testing, Zinga has finally been approved to NORSOK Standard M-501 Revision 5 (click here to open report in new window). This standard was developed in Norway to meet the exacting demands of the Oil & Gas Industry and details the performance requirements for coating systems operating in offshore environments. The test ensures the required durability to maximise the lifespan to first maintenance and is considered by many to be the “Gold Standard” of coating performance tests. As you can see from the report Zinga passed with flying colours after only two coats to a total dry film thickness of 120µm (most conventional paint systems passing NORSOK would be at least three times as thick). Not only that, but the adhesion values actually increased during the test (paints would see these adhesion values fall). This is a very significant milestone for Zinga as it proves beyond doubt its incredible ability to prevent corrosion whilst also demonstrating yet again that it cannot be compared to any other conventional paint system - it is truly unique.

Shropshire County Council Specify Zinga (Jan 2007)
Yet another County Council has turned to Zinga to help protect their valuable assets from corrosion - this time the Outback Bridge in Shropshire. The consultant engineers Mouchel Parkman and Alan Griffiths Ltd in conjunction with Colorado Corrosion, the Zinga Approved Applicator, hope to have the bridge fully coated with Zinga with a polyurethane topcoat before the end of March 2007. The photos below show the bridge before the work began.

Wrexham Culverts Two Years On (Jan 2007)
Back in January 2005 Colorado Corrosion, a Zinga Approved Applicator, undertook the refurbishment of a number of culverts at Bangor on Dee for Wrexham Borough Council. The culverts had originally been galvanised but time had taken its toll and the culverts were in dire need of either replacement or repair. Obviously replacement costs were prohibitive so they turned to Zinga instead. The photos below show that two years on the Zinga is still in perfect condition. The photo on the right shows that underneath the mud collected in the bottom the zinc is still pristine. This was a perfect job for Zinga as it completely recharged the existing worn galvanising with the minimum of surface preparation and with no traffic disturbance.

Southern Water turns to Zinga (Nov 2006)
Southern Water has had endless corrosion issues with their settlement tank paddles in their waste water processing sites. They have now turned to Zinga UK for the solution: a combination of Zinga with a mid and top coat of Alufer modified polyurethane. This in an unbeatable system as it combines the active protection from the Zinga with the chemical resistance of the Alufer.

British Wayerways Bridge Revisted (October 2006)
This bridge at Newark Marina in Nottinghamshire was coated with Zinga and a simple polyurethane topcoat back in 2002 (click here to see original report). These photos taken recently show the condition of the bridge after four years - perfect. It's worth noting in the close up photo of the upright that even though inevitably the wire has been rubbing on the edge of the hole in the upright (when children stand on the wire for example), no corrosion has taken place. With conventional coating systems this area would be a typical location for corrosion to start and then spread. Once again this demonstrates the huge advantage of having Zinga 's active system at work.

Islay Bridge Completed (May 2006)
The Duich bridge on Islay off the west coast of Scotland has been finished. This bridge was fabricated and coated by Solway Structural Steel, part of the Barr Group, on behalf of Argyll and Bute Council. Zinga was used in conjunction with a International Paints polyurethane to provide the corrosion protection to all the structural steelwork. Recent inspections show the bridge to be in pristine condition after transport and installation. Annual visits by the Zinga UK team will monitor the performance of this structure.

Drax Power Station - 3 Years On (January 2006)
Drax Power in Selby, North Yorkshire , Zinganised steelwork within their plant over three years ago to evaluate Zinga as a coating system and to assess its potential in a particularly corrosive environment. The latest inspection shows the Zinga to be holding up well as the Testimonial demonstrates.

Anglian Water Testimonial (December 2005)
The coastal location combined with the hydrogen sulphides produced during the sewage treatment process created such a corrosive environment within Anglain Water's waste water treatment site in Grimsby , that normal hot-dip galvanising was lasting no more than 3 years. In December 2002 some steel handrails coated with Zinga and topcoated with a water based topcoat were installed for evaluation next to HDG handrails. Recent inspections have shown that the steelwork is still in perfect condition three years after installation. Click here to see the full testimonial.

Zinga Used in Belfast Port (March 2005)
Following other successful pier refurbishment projects like Killeybeggs in NW Ireland, one of the births in Belfast Harbour has recently been Zinganised. The contractors, Charles Brand, applied Zinga by brush and spray to protect the top 600mm of the 214 steel legs after blast cleaning.

Galway’s Gas benefits from Zinga (March 2005)
Various Above Ground Installations (AGI’s) for the mains gas supply to Galway City have been Zinganised and top coated with polyurethane. The contractors, Sicim, carried out the work during February and March 2005 and were extremely happy with the results.

Lots More Training Days
More and more companies are attending Zinga Open Days at their local distributors. This Autumn has seen two very successful days being organised by Simon Safety in Pembrokshire and Pipefit Supplies in Grimsby. The Simon Safety training day was done in conjunction with their local Approved Applicator (BDS) who were able to demonstrate the advances in abrasive blasting with a full vacu-blast unit. Attendees from companies like Texaco and the local authorities were impressed by this clean method of surface preparation before being taken through the advantages and cost savings that Zinga provides. If you would like to attend a Zinga Open Day please contact your local distributor for details - you'll be amazed by what you'll learn.

BDS Contracts (Milford Haven) demonstrating the advantages of vacu-blasting - no dust!

Zinga Approved by Land Rover
After many months of testing Zinga has finally been approved for use by Land Rover and has been awarded Part No. 11001-11002-11010-11025. The tests included resistance to humidity, salt immersion, chipping and exposure to fuel oil etc.

Launch of Zingaceram (March 2004)
Zingametall in Belgium have launched a new range of ceramic based coatings that can be used in conjunction with Zinga to provide an extremely durable and abrasion resistant coating. The range consists of three products:

Zingaceram S: This coating has been specially designed for use in subterranean, off-shore and sub-sea applications. The ceramic base enables it to be extremely resistant to abrasion and erosion but also improves its resilience to chemical attack. There are no glosses or RAL colours available for this coating and the standard colour is white.

Zingaceram M: This coating has been formulated for use above ground on structures requiring outstanding coating performance and abrasion resistance e.g. wind turbine towers. It has better weather resistance than Zingaceram S and is available in a wider range of colours including several RAL colours and glosses.

Zingaceram X: This coating has a much finer molecular structure allowing it to be applied at lower d.f.t’s. Designed for applications like the inside of pumps and the coating of fasteners, it combines all the benefits of M and S except for the broad range of colours (it’s available in either black or white).

Please contact Zinga UK or your nearest distributor for more information.

Change in Zinga Guarantees (March 2004)
With the insurance industry under ever increasing pressure, Zingametall have been forced to change the terms of the guarantees that they offer. Please click here to see the latest information on guarantees.

Zinga Approved by Det Norske Veritas for Sea Water Ballast Tanks (February 2004)
Following extensive testing by DNV in Norway, Zinga has been approved for use in sea water ballast tanks. DNV is recognised throughout the world to be the authority on the coating of ballast tanks – a notoriously harsh application. Zinga scored the maximum B1 for “Area Rusted” and “Under-cutting from scribe” but is classed as B3 overall – an impressive result in tests designed for paints rather than cathodic protection. Zinga can offer significant cost savings to ship owners by virtue of its ability to be recoated without the need for blasting. Once the initial application has been completed to blasted steel, ongoing maintenance would require nothing more than a steam clean to ensure the old Zinga is clean and grease free before applying a fresh coat. Combining the competitive price of Zinga with these significant through life cost reductions make Zinga a serious player in this market.

Approved Applicator Scheme Grows (Feb 2004)
Zinga UK’s Approved Applicator Scheme has started to gather momentum with more and more professional applicators applying for assessment. The scheme aims to provide a guide to end users to allow them to work with applicators who have had previous experience of applying Zinga to exacting standards. All the AA’s have had their equipment inspected and have successfully completed a trial application to the correct specification. Also, each applicator firm has a “Zinga Champion” who has been tested on their Zinga knowledge to ensure that they are well prepared for every eventuality. Click here to see the list of current Approved Applicators. If you are interested in becoming an Approved Applicator then please contact Zinga UK.

Distributor Network Grows (Jan 2004)
Zinga is sold by an expanding network of distributors throughout the UK and each one has their own field of expertise. Most have already held an open day in their area in conjunction with a local applicator to graphically demonstrate the benefits of Zinga to potential customers. If you would be interested in attending an open day or would like a full presentation on Zinga then please contact your nearest distributor.

Zinga Approved by UK Galvanisers (Oct 2003)
Zinga has been approved by Joseph Ash, one of the UK's largest Hot-Dip Galvanisers, as their official "touch-up" coating to repair damaged galvanising. After conducting their own tests on Zinga and Zingalu for several months they were satisfied that they would be ideal for this application. Zinga has now been recommended to all nine Galvanising plants run by the company. We consider this a significant break-through and welcome the opportunity to work with the HDG community to expand the appeal of Zinga.

Another UK Bridge Zinganised (Sept 2003)
Uni-Prep Limited of Dorset have recently completed the Zinganisation of their first full bridge in the UK for Devon County Council. Lloyd Cordell of Uni-Prep stated, "Although only a relatively small bridge, this project generated a great deal of interest amongst local engineers. We were able to do the job quickly and easily with our mobile application rig and all those present seemed extremely satisfied with the results". Lloyd hopes that this work will lead onto the film galvanising of further bridges in the future.

In fact the UK lags behind both Europe and the US when it comes to Zinganising bridges. At the start of this year a program to Zinganise every bridge across the Mississippi river in the US began. These bridges are regarded as being of high strategic military importance which resulted in the use of Zinga needing to be ratified by both Congress and the US military! In Norway, Canada and Belgium some bridges have been Zinganised for nearly twenty years now.

BBA Approval (Aug 2003)
Zinga has been approved by the British Board of Agrément - an organisation designated by UK Government to issue European technical approvals for construction (www.bbacerts.co.uk). Click here to download a copy of the report Cert. No. 03/4047.

Alan Thomas of the BBA presenting John Lithgow of Zinga UK with the Certificate

It has taken the BBA nearly a year to certify Zinga. Their tough in-depth assessment involved visits to the manufacturers in Belgium to both approve production quality control and to visit long-standing projects (over ten years old) which substantiated the durability claims being made. The BBA certificate is widely recognised in industry as a significant technical approval and we hope it will facilitate the specification of Zinga on more and more projects in the future - especially in the public sectors.

Zinga Used on HMS Illustrious (Aug 2003)
Zinga has been applied to the underside of the Harrier Jump Jet takeoff deck on the British aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious. Although the application was far from ideal (access, and difficulty getting the required surface preparation) the MoD were satisfied that Zinga would do the job required and prevent corrosion whilst also resisting the heat from the Harriers jets on the deck above.

M62 Bridge Parapets (July 2003)
Zinga UK in conjunction with its east-coast distributor Pipefit Supplies, Grimsby, and the blast-cleaning company Greenleaf Contracting, Beverly, Yorkshire, have completed coating trials on a bridge parapet and crash barrier on the M62 motorway north of Manchester. This was to demonstrate to the managing consultants for the Highways Agency, Carillion WSP, the ease by which structures could be Zinganised on site and the simplicity of "re-charging" any worn galvanising. The demonstration revealed that there are two scenarios: re-building badly worn galvanizing back to the original thickness; and replacing galvanizing that has disappeared altogether. Both of these were accomplished very quickly and efficiently.

Slurry Blast of parapets - clean and easy

Trial patches of Zinga on fully blasted steel, swept blasted steel and unblasted steel

Narrow Boats Zinganised (July 2003)
So far this year five narrow boats have had their whole hulls Zinganised. Of these five, two were left as bare Zinga below the waterline to capitalise on the "sheet anode" behaviour of Zinga. Zinc possesses a natural anti-fouling characteristic which means that algae etc. will not start colonising on the hulls. In fact in hard water areas the exposed Zinga will form a layer of calcium carbonate on top of the zinc which gives the Zinga even better protection. The narrow boat marina in Lower Heyford, Oxfordshire, is presently expanding its facilities to be able to handle more boats wanting this type of maintenance.

Zinganisation of Electricity Sub-Stations (July 2003)
Zinga has been used to coat rusted areas on electrical sub-stations on the Isle of Skye, with the programme set to roll on through the year at other stations. The work was carried out by a mobile team from the NE Group in Aberdeen. Zinga is the perfect coating for transformers and other heavy duty electrical hardware which is situated outside as its grey colour helps to blend them into the landscape and future maintenance is greatly simplified. In both Taiwan and Portugal the state power companies have been using Zinga to recondition both substations and pylons. The whole of Taiwan's distribution network is maintained using a ongoing program of Zinganisation.

New Potable Water Certificate (June 2003)
Zinga has been re-certified to the rigorous new BS6920 (2000) for coatings in contact with drinking water. We hope the ease of application will convince more and more people like ship owners that Zinga provides a cheaper alternative to the protection of their drinking water storage tanks. Click here to view the test report and letter from the WRAS.

Zinga Used For Dry Cleaning Drums (May 2003)
An interesting usage for Zinga has recently completed some testing with flying colours. The zinc plating on the drums of dry cleaning machines is very thin and operators have been finding it wears through and starts corroding fairly quickly when exposed to the low pH that the cleaning chemicals produce. Recent trials in Earls Court in collaboration with specialist applicators Uni-Prep showed that the Zinga was simply polished by the movement of clothes over the surface and after the initial application a Zingaspray touch-up aerosol could be used annually to boost the protection as required. This would be significantly cheaper and easier than the disassembly and re-galvanizing which occurs at the moment. Articles should appear in the Dry Cleaning Association periodical in the next few months with full details of the trials.

Zinga Training Day Success (Jan 2003)
At the end of January, Zinga UK held its first training day for its distributors and interested customers. Hosted in the premises of Procoat in Newbury (www.professionalcoatings.co.uk), distributors were able to see the application of Zinga first hand. Quill and Power Prep International were on hand to demonstrate the latest in mobile wet-blast technology before Mr Martin of Procoat illustrated the ease of Zinga spray application.

After some technical discussion chaired by Dr Zinga himself, Rick Simpson, we returned to see Procoat personnel using the mist coat technique to overcoat Zinga with epoxy. Additionally they were able to show why Zinga is generating so much interest amongst architects by powder coating a range of colours over the Zinga to provide a surface finish otherwise unobtainable by HDG. Mr Martin the MD of Procoat said, "Before we were at the mercy of the local hot-dip galvanisers and that usually meant delays, time wasted on fettling and, more often than not, distorted steel if the gauge was thin. After playing around with some Zinga we found that not only was it adhering extremely well to the blast cleaned steel but also our powder coats adhered unbelievably well to the Zinga surface. This has allowed us to galvanise and powder coat in house and in a shorter time scale than before. Our customers are already benefiting from some of the less obvious advantages of Zinga". The training day proved very popular with the distributors and we will be holding another in Aberdeen on the 27th March for our northern representatives. Training and demonstrations are an ongoing part of Zinga UK's responsibility and we hope to be in your area soon.

Quill demonstrating the ease of wet blasting

Zinga being spray applied

A tie-coat of epoxy being applied over Zinga

Buckingham Palace gets Zinganised! (Oct 2002)
Zinga has been specified on the gates of both Buckingham and Blenheim Palace. The application will take place in October/November 2002 with Rick Simpson of Zinga UK advising on the entire system. After blasting the gates will be coated with Zinga with a layer of Alufer N on top. To create the desired finish the metal will then be painted with a vinyl high-build black satin with gold leaf to finish. Undoubtedly with this system Her Majesty and The Duke of Marlborough will be able to enjoy corrosion free gates for many decades to come.

British Waterways Bridge (Sept 2002)
Yet another bridge that has been Zinganised and topcoated, this time by British Waterways at Newark Marina in Nottinghamshire.

Zinga approved by the MOD (Sept 2002)
Zinga has been included in the autumn edition of "War Paint" - the Ministry of Defence's bible on approved coating systems. Although presently listed as a blast primer, it is hoped it will be upgraded to a general primer in the future. In actual fact a misprint has labelled Zinga as an epoxy primer (untrue as Zinga is a one pack coating) but this will be remedied in the April 2003 edition. Zinga UK and its south of England distributor, Alpha Engineering Supplies, have been very well received in the demonstrations they have made to the Naval shipyards along the south coast. With British military approval secured, Zinga is now accepted by the forces as a quality coating on both sides of the Atlantic with the American military already using it and NATO permits in place too.

Update on the MV Copious (Sept 2002)
As promised this site has been following the progress of the first British fishing vessel to be Zinganised. The boat was inspected whilst still in the water in September and only small areas of Zinga had been compromised where the severe abrasion of ropes and cables had worn through to the steel. Although discoloured, the steel beneath these areas had not corroded due to Zinga's cathodic protection which is able to protect bare metal up to a metre away from the coating edge. Impact damage around the doors etc showed no signs of delamination bearing testament to Zinga's adhesion and flexibility. The skipper of the MV Copious was so happy with his Zinganised hull that he has postponed the scheduled slippage until April next year.

Pull-off tests go off the gauge

Central Blasting and Painting in Falkirk have recently concluded a full set of pull-off tests on a selection of Zinga based coating systems for use on sub-sea pipelines - even we were amazed by the results. After being initially blasted to a depth of 65µm the steel samples were brushed with Zinga followed by an International Paints epoxy primer and glass flake top-coat. The Adhesion tests were carried out with an Elcometer 108 - Hydraulic Adhesion Tester. The photo below show the gauges' needle going off the scale - that is over 3500 psi (25 MPa)!

Shetland distributor Zinganises 60ft. trawler