ALL-SOLIDS EPOXY FLOORING STANDS UP TO SOLVENTS

John Butler, Plant Manager, CWM Resource Recovery

CWM Resource Recovery, as the name implies, operates a solvent recovery plant that uses outside tank storage farms. Methylene chloride, MEK, acetone and trickloroethylene are among the many chemicals that are handled on the site. Although outdoor surfaces were not corroded or abraded severely, the West Carrollton, Ohio, subsidiary of Chem. Waste Management, Inc., wanted a new protective floor coating that could contain potential spills, and meet Federal tank farm regulations on secondary containment. The most recent regulations require "gap free" containment.

Engineers defined their needs clearly at the beginning of the project. The floor had to stand up to mechanical abuse, have non-skid properties, and contain solvents up to 24 hours without softening. Expansion joints had to withstand chemical attack. Surface would be exposed to a temperate midwestern climate. Absolute bonding was required, even with the presence of water close to the surface.

CWM Resource Recovery maintained strict guidelines on the application of the flooring system, including the following rules:

• Ensure that no sparking occurs during surface preparation and laying of the flooring compound;
• The floor would have to be ready for full operating conditions within 24 hours;
• All Metal legs, beams and tank bases had to be sealed to prevent chemicals from penetrating under the floor;
• All existing cracks had to be sealed to prevent future propagation through the new coating;
• All walls require coating protection;
• An off-loading ramp, handling traffic as heavy as 80,000-lb. tanker trucks, need extra coating protection; and
• There would be no stoppage of plant operations during surface preparation and application of the flooring.