Clarifiers are essential components in water and wastewater treatment plants. These large settling tanks—typically constructed of concrete or steel—are designed to continuously remove solid particulates or suspended solids from liquids through sedimentation.
Because they sit at the heart of the treatment process, clarifiers are constantly exposed to mechanical wear from scrapers, chemical attack from flocculants, and environmental degradation. Without a high-quality clarifier internal and external protective coating, these assets suffer from corrosion, leakage, and structural failure.
Clarifier structures face a “triple threat” of degradation that requires specialised protection:
Chemical Corrosion: Wastewater often contains hydrogen sulfide (H2S), which converts to sulfuric acid, eating away at concrete and steel.
Mechanical Abrasion: Sludge scrapers and rotating bridges put constant physical stress on the floor and walls of the tank.
Structural Movement: Large concrete tanks naturally develop hairline cracks due to thermal expansion or ground settling. If a coating is too rigid, it will crack along with the concrete, leading to leaks. That is why, as chemically resistant as epoxies are, they are not suitable for this application.
For decades, epoxy was the standard. However, modern infrastructure demands the superior performance of Tufflon Polyurea. Tufflon offers seamless application over joints protects against joint leakage. (Advantage over epoxy as it relies on PU joint sealant)
Here is a quick comparison table of epoxy versus polyurea for this application.
| Feature | Traditional Epoxy | Tufflon Polyurea (P80/P90) |
| Flexibility | Brittle; cracks when the substrate moves. | Elastomeric: Stretches up to 400%, bridging cracks easily. |
| Cure Speed | High downtime. | Instant: Sets in seconds; back in service within days. |
| Moisture Tolerance | Fails if the concrete is slightly damp. | Resilient: more tolerant to high-humidity environments. |
| Durability | Prone to chipping and impact damage. | Extreme abrasion and Impact Resistance: Handles heavy scraper wear. |
| Longevity | Requires frequent maintenance/re-coating. | 20+ year design life with minimal maintenance. |
Seamless Application | Over joints protects against joint leakage. | Advantage over epoxy as it relies on PU sealant. |
Once the substrate is primed, the Tufflon Polyurea system provides the seamless, impenetrable membrane required for long-term immersion and chemical resistance.
When treating water intended for human consumption, the coating must be non-toxic and stable. Tufflon P80 and Tufflon P90 are specifically formulated and certified to meet AS/NZS 4020 standards (Testing of products for use in contact with drinking water).
Tufflon P80: Our “Workhorse” polyurea, offering a perfect balance of hardness and flexibility for municipal clarifiers.
Tufflon P90: Provides even higher chemical resistance and Shore D hardness, ideal for aggressive industrial clarifier environments.
No Leaching: These coatings ensure that no taste, appearance, or microorganism growth is imparted to the water supply.
A complete clarifier internal and external protective coating strategy addresses two different environments:
Internal Lining: Focused on immersion, chemical resistance, and abrasion from scrapers.
External Coating: Focused on UV stability, weathering, and preventing carbonation of the concrete structure.
Protect Your Infrastructure Today. Don’t wait for concrete cancer or steel corrosion to compromise your plant. Contact Liquimix for a technical consultation on your clarifier rehabilitation or new-build project.
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