November 20, 2023

The new line of Heat-Flex CUI-mitigation coatings from Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine has earned a Vaaler Award from Chemical Processing for its ability to mitigate the dangerous condition of corrosion under insulation (CUI). The Vaaler Awards honour products and services that offer dramatic improvements for chemical plant operations.

Among all currently available coating formulations, Heat-Flex ACE (Advanced CUI Epoxy) performs the best at mitigating CUI in a variety of tests. The ultra-high-solids epoxy novolac features a functional chemical enhancement for CUI mitigation. In addition, Heat-Flex 650, Heat-Flex 750 and Heat-Flex 1200 Plus feature a high concentration of micaceous iron oxide (MIO) pigment for significantly improved CUI-mitigation performance compared to similar formulations on the market.

Chemical Processing has awarded Vaaler Awards biennially for more than 50 years. They are named after John C. Vaaler (1899-1963), who became Chemical Processing’s editor-in-chief in 1946 and served as chairman of the publication’s editorial board from 1961 until his death.

“CUI is a lurking danger in any petrochemical plant that could potentially lead to catastrophic events. In the interest of safety, we’re constantly looking for new ways to address the problem and have developed surprisingly effective options with the new range of Heat-Flex CUI-mitigation coatings,” said Neil Wilds, global product director – CUI, Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine. “To be awarded for these efforts is an honour, as well as a testament to our product development and research teams, which continue to seek new and better ways to combat CUI.”

An independent panel of judges drawn from the chemical industry chose the Vaaler Award winners based on the significance of their contributions to chemical plant operations, as well as their uniqueness and breadth of application.