PPG Industries’ protective and marine coatings (PMC) business is celebrating the 20th anniversary of polysiloxane coatings, for which PPG was granted the first patent on Jan. 4, 1994.

Tim Knavish, PPG vice president, protective and marine coatings, said polysiloxane coatings have revolutionized the protective and marine coatings industry, expanding into applications such as civil infrastructure, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), government, water and wastewater, petrochemical, offshore, rail, power generation and wind energy.

PPG polysiloxane products, specifically the PSX brand of coatings, have been used to coat more than 1 billion square feet of surface area. “With the sheer number of applications and success stories, polysiloxane is now considered a mature technology,” Knavish explained. “Thanks to sustained technical advances by PPG scientists and engineers over the past two decades, PSX coatings remain the leader in this field.”

In the 20 years since being introduced, PSX coatings have been refined continually to meet specific customer needs. Recent innovations include a semi-gloss version for the government marine industry, a single-component formulation for easier maintenance, and a new ultra-low-VOC (volatile organic compound) PSX coating.

Polysiloxane coating technology by PPG offers benefits compared to traditional epoxy coatings systems such as low odor, low VOC content, excellent abrasion resistance, stronger adhesion, extended color and gloss retention, increased corrosion resistance and low surface tension. As a two-coat system, PSX coatings provide cost and labor savings compared to three-layer systems, and they are safer because they contain no isocyanates.

PPG is a world leader in protective and marine coatings. Its products protect customer assets in some of the world’s most demanding conditions and environments, such as projects in energy, infrastructure and marine markets. PPG PMC features lines such as the AMERCOAT and SIGMA COATINGS brands.