Cytec Fire Water Tank an Industrial Sandblasting & Painting Challenge

Charlie Irwin Painting (CIP) is capable of handling all of your commercial and industrial painting challenges, no matter how big or small. The Cytec Fire Water Tank in Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee, owned by Cytec Industries, Inc., was in desperate need of repair and resurfacing after years of wear and tear.

industrial painting sandblasting contractor

The 500,000 tank, which has a 46′ 6’” diameter and is 40′ tall, was swiftly brought up to standards by the expert team of CIP qualified staff, in less than 9 weeks.


A Critical Industrial Sandblasting and Painting Job

The repair was multi-faceted, involving sandblasting, painting and welding.   However, time was of the essence, as the tank is used as fire protection for the chemical plant. It was critical to get the tank blasted, repaired, painted and returned to service as soon as possible.


Cytec Industrial Paint Project Before and Afters


Meeting the Challenge

As a leading industrial painting and sandblasting contractor CIP is used to taking on challenging jobs and Cytec was no different. The first challenge we faced was the lead based paint interior of the tank. Because the tank had not been painted since it was built in 1964, there was a lot of corrosion and damage to it. We were able to safely remove the antiquated existing coatings and corrosion by performing a SSPC-SP10/NACE No.2 Near-White Blast Cleaning.

After the sandblasting was complete, we were able to apply the first coat, a Macropoxy 5500 applied at 2.0 to 4.0 mils dft.   Then, the stripe coat was applied, also a Macropoxy 5500 applied at 2.0 to 4.0 mils dft. to all welded seams and transitions.

The topcoat of Sherwin-Williams Sherplate PW was actually applied in two coats of 20 to 25 mils for a total of 40 to 50 mils because the steel had so much corrosion, which had caused pitting. CIP always chooses the best tools to fit the job. We applied the Sherplate PW, a 100% solids epoxy, using plural component spray equipment manufactured by WIWA.


Industrial Painting and Sandblasting is a Team Effort

In order to complete the job in a timely manner, CIP worked in tandem with other contractors, including DRM Total Plant Integration’s Tim Morgan who performed all metal repairs to the tank.

CIP is able to meet all of your commercial and industrial painting challenges. With over 30 years of experience, CIP is equipped with most dedicated and reliable staff, whose knowledge and experience provide our customers with the most appropriate methods, tools and techniques. We’re also able to work seamlessly with other contractors and management.