Salt is an ever-present danger for seafaring bulk carriers and not just for those transporting it as cargo. The high humidity and salty air of the ocean combine to corrode metal 10x faster than air with regular humidity. Salt water spray reaches all outer surfaces of a ship. If cargo hatch seals are not tight, they can leak that water right into the hold. This not only causes contamination and damage to the cargo inside, but can hasten the corrosion of an unprotected hold as well.
It’s well known how corrosive salt becomes to metal when it comes into contact with water. Metal structures that have been continuously weakened by corrosion are the causes of accidents, repairs and in the worst cases, critical failures that have resulted in the tragic loss of ships and lives.
Fortunately there are steps you can take to minimize or eliminate the accelerated deterioration caused by corrosion due to salt.
- Bulk carrier hold cleaning. A thorough cleaning of the hold is of the utmost importance to ensure all salt deposits are removed. Careful inspection and cleaning of residue from hatches is essential to establish tight seals and prevent sea water from breaching the hold.
- Bulk carrier hold protection. All of the metal in a hold carrying salt must be protected against corrosion. Applying a barrier film to line the hold will keep the salt from reaching the metal.
RBM HoldSolutions specializes in powerful, effective cargo hold protection and hold clearing formulations for bulk carriers. We are proud to offer the very best in environmentally friendly cleaning and barrier solutions. Give us a call at (604) 531-8333.
