Corrosion is the silent assassin of mining infrastructure. Every year, corroded steel structures, equipment housings, and process pipelines cost mining operations across Southern Africa millions in downtime, replacement parts, and emergency maintenance. Yet most mining facilities still rely on outdated multi-coat epoxy systems that fail within five to fifteen years in harsh mining environments.
Mining corrosion protection does not have to be this expensive or this disruptive.
TSS, the exclusive Sub-Saharan Africa distributor for CSL Silicones, has partnered with mining operations across the region to deploy a single-coat silicone solution that eliminates the traditional coating headaches: lengthy surface preparation, multiple application cycles, and premature failure. This article explores why SI-COAT 579 CM is transforming how Southern Africa’s mining sector protects its critical assets.
The Real Cost of Corrosion in Mining Environments
Mining environments are uniquely hostile to steel and metal structures. High ultraviolet exposure, extreme temperature fluctuations, salt spray in coastal regions, acidic conditions in sulphuric acid operations, and persistent moisture create a perfect storm for corrosion. Infrastructure in these conditions does not simply rust — it deteriorates aggressively and continuously.
Traditional three-coat epoxy systems were designed for industrial environments with moderate corrosion risk. They demand abrasive sandblasting to SSPC-SA 2.5 standard or better, a zinc-rich primer, an intermediate epoxy layer, a UV-resistant topcoat, extended cure times between coats, skilled application crews, and recoating cycles every seven to fifteen years. In mining operations, this translates into a significant operational and financial burden.
Operational disruption is the most immediate consequence. Mining facilities cannot shut down for weeks of surface preparation and multi-coat application, and equipment downtime costs thousands of rands per day. Labour intensity compounds the problem, because epoxy systems demand sixteen or more crew members for four to six weeks on large assets, while remote mining sites struggle to source skilled applicators and manage the logistics involved.
Short service life accelerates costs further. Epoxy coatings fail within five to ten years in aggressive mining environments, triggering costly recoating cycles before the initial investment is recouped. Environmental objections to abrasive blasting also create permitting delays and reputational risk that few operations can afford.
Traditional mining corrosion protection approaches fall short. A fundamentally different solution is needed.
Why Epoxy Fails Where Mining Demands Most
Epoxy coatings are rigid. They cannot flex with the thermal expansion and contraction that occurs in mining equipment exposed to extreme temperature swings — from minus five degrees Celsius to plus forty degrees Celsius daily in some regions. When the substrate expands and contracts, epoxy cracks. Moisture and oxygen penetrate those cracks, triggering corrosion creep beneath the coating surface where it cannot be seen until damage is already extensive.
In acidic mining environments such as copper operations and sulphuric acid tank farms, epoxy’s chemical resistance is limited. The coating degrades faster, blistering and peeling within three to five years in conditions that the original specification never accounted for. Mining crews must then remove every trace of degraded coating via sandblasting — an expensive, time-consuming process that is often impractical in remote or densely populated areas.
The cycle of expensive recoating every five to ten years continues, with no pathway to genuinely long-term asset protection.
The Solution: SI-COAT 579 CM for Mining Corrosion Protection
SI-COAT 579 CM is a single-component, room-temperature vulcanising (RTV) silicone coating engineered specifically for these challenges. Unlike epoxy, silicone is elastomeric — it flexes with substrate movement, preventing the cracks that trigger corrosion creep underneath the surface.
The advantages for mining corrosion protection are substantial. SI-COAT 579 CM is applied in a single coat at nine to fourteen mils dry film thickness, with no primer and no intermediate layers. This cuts application time by seventy to eighty percent compared to traditional systems. Critically, it adheres excellently to tightly bound rust and old coatings, meaning mining crews need only pressure wash at 5,000 psi or use wire brushes and solvent wipe-down to SSPC-SP1 or SP3 standard. No abrasive blasting is required, which eliminates environmental concerns and permitting delays.
The elastomeric silicone matrix absorbs stress from thermal cycling, salt spray, and vibration. Testing has confirmed that SI-COAT 579 CM shows no corrosion creep, blistering, or adhesive failure even after three years of continuous exposure in environments equivalent to NASA’s saltwater immersion test conditions. All SI-COAT 579 CM colours are tested to withstand 5,000 hours of accelerated UV weathering with minimal colour change, and the coating resists sulphuric acid, salt spray, and the acidic process chemicals commonly found in mining operations.
TSS has documented SI-COAT 579 CM delivering thirty or more years of protection in harsh mining environments — double or triple the service life of traditional epoxy systems.
Proven Performance: BHP Billiton Copper Mine, Chile
When BHP Billiton’s Escondida copper mine in northern Chile needed to protect critical mineral processing equipment, traditional epoxy coatings had already failed. The mine’s extreme environment — a high UV index of eight to ten, daily temperature swings from minus five to plus twenty-eight degrees Celsius, high salinity, and acidic condensation — had degraded the original OEM epoxy coating to the point of peeling, cracking, and heavy corrosion across structures.
Conventional wisdom said recoating required complete sandblasting and new epoxy application. However, water is scarce in the Atacama Desert, and sandblasting in a confined mineral processing plant was impractical. BHP Billiton specified SI-COAT 579 CM for over 3,500 square metres of equipment structures.
Surface preparation required only SSPC-SP1 solvent cleaning — no water jetting and no sandblasting. Application was completed faster than predicted using airless spray and brushing. The structures are now protected for an estimated thirty or more years, with zero corrosion creep or adhesion failures observed since application.
The success at Escondida has become a blueprint for mining operations across Southern Africa facing similar mining corrosion protection challenges.
The Cost-Benefit Case for Mining Operations
Consider a large mining asset with 6,000 square metres of steel structure requiring corrosion protection. A traditional three-coat epoxy system demands six to eight weeks of surface preparation with sixteen crew members, followed by four to six weeks of application with twelve to sixteen crew members. Total project cost runs from approximately R180,000 to R240,000, with an expected service life of seven to ten years. Annualised, that works out to between R18,000 and R34,000 per year.
SI-COAT 579 CM requires one to two weeks of surface preparation with four to six crew members, followed by one to two weeks of application with six crew members. Total project cost runs from approximately R70,000 to R120,000, with an expected service life of thirty or more years. Annualised, that works out to between R2,300 and R4,000 per year — a saving of seventy-five to eighty-five percent on a per-year basis.
For mining operations managing hundreds of assets across multiple sites, this difference compounds into millions saved over a decade.
Why Mining Operations Across Southern Africa Choose SI-COAT 579 CM
Minimal operational disruption is the first reason. One-coat application with minimal preparation means projects finish in weeks, not months, allowing mining crews to maintain production schedules and avoid extended downtime. No environmental or permitting delays follow, because pressure washing and solvent cleaning generate no dust or blasting debris — local communities and environmental regulators raise no objection.
Proven performance in the harshest conditions gives operations the confidence to commit. SI-COAT 579 CM has protected copper mines in Chile, sulphuric acid tanks in Australia, transmission towers in salt-fog environments, and marine equipment in saltwater immersion. If it performs in those conditions, it performs in Southern Africa’s mining sector.
Long-term asset protection changes the investment calculation entirely. With a thirty-plus year service life, SI-COAT 579 CM protects mining infrastructure through multiple commodity cycles, reducing replacement risk and extending asset return on investment. Local support from TSS, the exclusive Sub-Saharan Africa distributor for CSL Silicones, ensures technical guidance, application support, and rapid product delivery across the region.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can SI-COAT 579 CM be applied over existing epoxy coatings?
Yes. SI-COAT 579 CM adheres excellently to old epoxy coatings without requiring complete removal. Simply pressure wash and solvent wipe the surface to clean it, then apply SI-COAT 579 CM directly. This makes retrofitting existing assets fast and cost-effective, without the disruption of full strip-back.
What is the cure time before equipment returns to service?
SI-COAT 579 CM reaches full cure in seven to fourteen days depending on temperature and humidity. Most mining operations see equipment back in service within two to three weeks of application completion — far faster than traditional multi-coat systems that require extended inter-coat cure times.
How does SI-COAT 579 CM perform in acidic mining environments?
Exceptionally well. CSL Silicones has deployed SI-COAT 579 CM on sulphuric acid tanks and acidic process equipment across the mining sector. The silicone matrix resists acid attack and maintains adhesion, whereas epoxy degrades and delaminates in acidic conditions over time.
Is SI-COAT 579 CM suitable for underground mining infrastructure?
SI-COAT 579 CM is designed for above-grade atmospheric applications. For subsurface or fully submerged assets, contact TSS for specialised recommendations suited to those conditions.
Can mining crews apply SI-COAT 579 CM on-site?
Yes. SI-COAT 579 CM can be applied by trained mining crews using standard spray equipment or brushes. TSS provides application guidance and technical support to ensure best practice. Certified applicators are not required, which makes on-site application straightforward for most operations.
Mining Corrosion Protection That Lasts
Southern Africa’s mining sector operates in some of the world’s most corrosive environments. Equipment downtime, asset failure, and costly recoating cycles eat into margins and undermine operational reliability every year.
SI-COAT 579 CM changes that equation. One coat, minimal preparation, a thirty-plus year service life, and proven performance across copper mines, sulphuric acid operations, and salt-fog coastal environments. TSS provides local support across Sub-Saharan Africa as the exclusive distributor for CSL Silicones.
If your mining operation is still cycling through traditional epoxy coatings every five to ten years, it is time to talk to TSS about a better approach to mining corrosion protection.
To discuss your site conditions and get a tailored recommendation, contact us through our contact us page or visit our FAQ page for more information. Proud distributors of CSL Silicones.