With high humidity levels such as in Central America, moisture cured polyurethane is essential in industrial sectors where the protection and durability of infrastructure in aggressive environments is essential. In this context, Wasser Coatings offers advanced solutions to address these conditions, as Ben Forde, Head of Business Development at the company, explained during his interview.
What is moisture cured polyurethane?
Moisture cured polyurethane is an industrial coating formulated to harden on contact with ambient humidity, using ambient water vapor as a catalyst to initiate a chemical reaction that forms a protective film over concrete or metal surfaces. Its main advantage is that it allows applications even in extreme conditions of up to 99% relative humidity, where other coatings would fail.
Thanks to their formulation, these coatings offer high corrosion resistance, excellent adhesion and flexibility to protect infrastructures in sectors such as oil and gas, bridges or industrial facilities, ideal for tropical environments and coastal areas where humidity is always present.
Wasser technology for leading industries and projects
Wasser presented, during the LatinCORR 2025 event, its industrial coatings based on moisture cured polyurethane, which incorporate micaceous iron oxide in their formulas, which reinforces flexibility and allows the coating to adapt to corners and angles, reducing the usual failure points in traditional coatings. Ben Forde, commented that among the most relevant projects in which they have used this technology are:
- Bridge of the Americas in Panama: treated with an over-coating system in 2012 that maintains its excellent appearance and protection to this day.
- Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco: where Wasser Coatings has worked for years to provide long-lasting protection.
- Seattle Space Needle: another iconic structure protected with its coatings.
- Astoria Bridge and numerous bridges on the East and West coasts of the U.S.: an example of Wasser’s recognition in the infrastructure market.
In the case of piping, they offer two alternative systems, a polyurea coating with thicknesses from 15 to 80 mils, and a thin film system composed of three layers that allows for ranges from 11 to 19 mils, depending on customer needs and environmental conditions.
Environmental commitment
Another strength of Wasser Coatings products is their environmental commitment, with strict compliance with volatile organic compound (VOC) standards, remaining below 100 grams per liter, making them a sustainable and safe option for both the environment and operators. This ensures their use in Latin and Central American countries without regulatory difficulties.
Technical evaluation and customized solutions
The company adopts a consultative and technical approach in assessing each client’s needs, where the first step is to understand the client’s expectations and based on this, the company performs detailed inspections and recommends the appropriate level of surface preparation. For long-term solutions, complete removal of previous coatings (SP10 preparation) is often suggested, while for medium-term solutions, they propose over-coating systems that require less preparation, reducing costs without sacrificing performance.
Leadership in tropical climates
Wasser Coatings, with its technical team, demonstrates that it is possible to combine adaptability and sustainability in solutions designed to prolong the useful life of critical infrastructure in environments where humidity is highly prevalent, such as Central America. Together with successful cases such as the Bridge of the Americas and the Golden Gate Bridge, the company reinforces its position as a key partner in industrial and infrastructure sectors.
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Source: Inspenet.