Food Safety
Coatings on cans containing edible products are an indispensable component of food safety: they protect food from both bacteria in the environment and corrosion from compromised metal. Coatings on the inside lining of a can act as a barrier to prevent the food from attacking the metal, especially when food is acidic; and the coating on the outside of the can protects the can from damage due to exposure to the environment.
Source: Courtesy of Valspar Corporation
Prevention from Microorganisms
Coatings developed with antimicrobial properties enable them to protect people from E.coli and a number of other dangerous microorganisms when applied to medical devices and components, including central line catheters. They also help to prevent the spread and contraction of hospital-associated infections.
Source: Courtesy of Specialty Coatings Systems
Protect Those Hard at Work
Additives in paints make workers safer in industrial environments: a coating system fortified with aerogel particles and applied at just a few millimeter thick to a pipe heated to 200° C is enough to protect any worker who touches it from a serious burn.
Source: “Stretching Paint Performance,” Chemical and Engineering News, American Chemical Society, pp 26–28, June 6, 2011