Paints and coatings provider Jotun has responded to market demand for a cargo tank coating allowing greater cargo flexibility, long-term performance, and vessel utilization with the launch of its Tankguard Flexline coating.

The unique product is built on the company’s Flexforce technology, ensuring excellent cargo resistance, quick port turnarounds, and lengthy maintenance intervals.

Flexibility and Efficiency

"In the ultra-competitive tanker market, optimal vessel flexibility, efficiency, and utilization are top of the ‘wish list’ for our global customer base,” said Marc Giesselink, global director for the company’s tank coating business.

“However, the aggressive nature of some cargo types, which can be absorbed into tank coatings, stressing and ultimately damaging them, as well as leading to lengthy ventilation periods after unloading, has, until now, been problematic,” he continued. “This has an obvious knock on effects upon vessel availability and utilization.”

“Tankguard Flexline has been developed to solve this pressing industry problem, with its Flexforce technology designed for effective operation enabling vessels to carry critical and aggressive cargoes shipped in coated cargo tanks. That provides full flexibility, leading to full vessels and real business advantage for our customers.”

Chemistry Advantages

While standard tank coatings typically absorb low molecular weight, leading to swelling that stresses the structural network of the coating film, the composition of Jotun’s Solvoxirane chemistry provides greater coating flexibility. This minimizes structural stress over repeated absorption and desorption cycles. Faster desorption times also lead to decreased ventilation requirements, quicker turnarounds, and enhanced vessel earnings.

Jotun developed the new product after an approach from long-standing customer Stena Bulk, which was looking to shorten vessel turnaround times and enhance cargo flexibility.

“Extensive trialing of the product has produced the results the firm has been searching for,” said Johan Jäwert, vice president of commercial operations at Stena Bulk. “Using [the] cargo tank coating enables us to carry an extensive range of products and chemicals, including methanol, with higher flexibility, capacity, and durability. This improves our operational efficiency."

The product is made to order in gray, green, and pink colors, and it is now available worldwide. According to the manufacturer, the product was made with carefully chosen raw materials to ensure that workers, applicators, and the environment are not exposed to unnecessary health and safety risks.