Rust inhibitor paints: How governments at all levels can protect public assets against rust and corrosion

Mar 20, 2020 |

Government agencies are some of the most astute stewards of the public purse. They’ll go to any length to protect their investments in public projects. Still, public assets like bridges, roads and military hardware tend to suffer from rust and corrosion. In fact, one report suggested that the Defense Department is spending up to $21 billion a year dealing with rusting and corrosion.

So, what can governments do to prevent public assets from rust and corrosion? The answer is very simple…and it could save governments millions of dollars!

Proactively Fighting Rust and Corrosion

Rust is pervasive across applications — be they public or private. The National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) estimates that rusting and corrosion literally eats up around $276 billion from the American economy. On a global basis, NACE estimates that rust and corrosion wipes out $2.5 trillion off the world’s economy.

And, according to NACE, the use of proactive best practices to deal with corrosion and rusting helps the world save anywhere between $375 and $875 billion. Imagine what governments could do with that money if it were possible to save or redirect it? The good news is that government agencies at all levels, local, municipal, State and Federal are proactively fighting rust and corrosion through the strategic application of rust inhibitors:

• After several years of neglect and decay, a United States Army Air Traffic Control Tower in Louisville, Alabama, USA, suffered from severe rust-through. Once again, strategic use of a rust inhibitor paint saved the day
• United States Navy Fleet Vessels are routinely subject to harsh conditions on the open seas. Invariably, rust and corrosion take their toll. However, timely use of rust inhibitor paints helps to extend the operational life of these vessels, saving governments and tax payers hundreds of thousands of dollars in reactive maintenance costs
• A fleet of school busses in Nye County School District, Pahrump, Nevada, USA, is subject to a barrage of harsh desert weather, destructive ultraviolet sunlight and erosion from blowing desert sands. When coated with a layer of rust inhibitors, the fleet was able to withstand all the vagaries of mother nature, reducing the need for more frequent ongoing maintenance.