Agion Antimicrobial Protection Coating, General Questions:

Are your paints & Industrial Spray Coatings FDA and USDA approved?

All of Burke Industrial Coatings agion antimicrobial protection coatings, primers, topcoats and stainless steel washable paints on this web site meet FDA 21 CFR 175.300 and are accepted according to USDA guidelines for use in Federally inspected meat and poultry plants.

Are your products VOC compliant? Our Supertemp-316 and Superlife-316U are VOC compliant in most states. There are some areas where they do not meet the VOC regulations. All of our other products on this web site are VOC compliant in all 50 states.

Can the products be used in food contact areas? As mentioned above, all products are FDA and USDA approved for incidental contact. Incidental contact is when the food will be in contact with the coated surface for a short period of time versus direct contact which is like the coating lining the inside of a tin can holding food in storage for a period of months or years.

Can your products be submerged? Immersion application is always a tough application, and, while we have no products for potable water immersion, we do have some products that will hold up well immersed in different fluids. Call us for a specific recommendation for your particular requirement.

What is the smallest container available for sale? We stock most products in 1 gallon cans and 5 gallon pails

How do your primers and coats work on/in...

Rusty Surfaces? If the surface is only slightly rusty, wire brush to scuff the surface and prime with Enviroprime-746. When the primer is dry, apply the topcoat of your choice. If the surface is heavily rusted, wire brush to remove loose scale and treat with BRC 6000 Rust Converter. Once the BRC 6000 is dry, for best results, prime with Primecoat-767 and then topcoat, or apply the topcoat directly to the BRC 6000.

Damp Surfaces? Our washable base paints can typically be applied to damp surfaces without affecting the durability of the coatings. Dry time will, most likely, be slower. If there is water actually running down the surface to be coated, then that moisture source must be stopped prior to using our products. Our oil base products (Supertemp-316, Supercoat-316L and Superlife-316U) should not be applied over damp surfaces.

New Metals? All of our primers and washable paints have excellent adhesion to a variety of clean metals. Prime Solution-5250 even has good adhesion to metals contaminated with grease and oils. Our Topcoat-1010 and Superlife-316 DTMR can be used direct to metal. For best results on any metal, we would suggest cleaning with BC 4000 cleaner, priming and topcoating with the topcoat that is appropriate for your particular circumstances.

Corrosive Environments? There are many levels of and types of corrosion and there is no one coating on the market that will work in all of these environments. That is why coatings companies make a wide variety of products. In general, we have found that coatings pigmented with 316L grade stainless steel flake have a decided advantage over conventionally pigmented coatings in the same setting. However, we make a variety of coatings with stainless steel flake and some offer better corrosion resistance than others in a given situation such as our washable paints.. If you have a particularly corrosive environment, it would be best to call us so we can discuss your situation first hand. We can also furnish you with an "Application Questionnaire" if requested by email or fax. Once this is filled out and faxed back to us, it should provide enough information for us to give you an informed recommendation.

Cold Environments? Once applied and cured, most of our products will perform very well in subzero temperatures. We have sold products for years that are used north of the Arctic Circle where -40°F is common. However, the coatings should be applied at temperatures between 50°F and 100°F and allowed to dry thoroughly before subjecting them to extreme cold temperatures.

Hot Environments? Once applied and cured, all of our products will perform well in normal exterior environments subjected to normal sunlight. Artificial temperatures created within a given plant or on a particular piece of machinery may require a special product. In general, BRC 6000, Primecoat-767 and Supertemp-316U are all good to about 200°F. The rest of our products are good to about 400°F. Supertemp-316 is good to 1200°F.

Concrete? While most of our products are specifically designed for application to metals, Enviroprime-746 and Prime Solution-5250 have good adhesion to properly prepared concrete surfaces. Recommended topcoats would be Topcoat-1010 and Superlife-316 DTMR for concrete walls and Epoxy Bond-316W and Epoxy Bond 2000W for floor applications.

Wood? While most of our products are specifically designed for application to metals, Enviroprime-746 has good adhesion to wood surfaces. Recommended topcoats would be Topcoat 1010 or Superlife-316.

Do you have local stock? We have a warehouse at our corporate offices in Vancouver, WA. We also have warehouses in Madison, WI, Houston, TX and Columbus, OH. We may also have a distributor in your area. Please call us for that information.

Do you have a representative in our area? Our sales representatives are listed under sales reps on the sales page of this web site.

How long has this product been on the market? We first started making water base industrial maintenance paint in 1963. Most of our present day products are newer technology. However, with 35 years of experience in water base technology, we are one of the most experienced water base coating companies in the world

Application Questions:

What do we thin your paint with? All of our water base products thin and clean up with water. Our solvent base products thin with conventional hydrocarbon solvents. See product data sheets of these products for specific solvent recommendation.

How thick do we put it on? Different products require different film build. Our most popular primers are Prime Coat-767 and Prime Solution-5250 both of which cover about 250 sq. ft. per gallon at 2 mils dry film thickness. Specific film requirements for each product, along with coverage, can be found on the Product Data Sheet.

What temperature should it be applied at? In general, coatings should be applied between 50°F and 100°F, with the humidity under 85%. They can be applied outside these parameters, but call us with your specific circumstances for our best recommendation.

Can we speed up the dry and cure in an oven? Yes, both dry and cure are much faster in a heated oven. Typical temperature recommended would be less than 200°F with about a 15-30 minute cycle for complete cure. Curing with infrared ovens can be accomplished in as little as three minutes.

Can they be applied over rusty and corroded surfaces? In general, the cleaner and better prepared the substrate is, the longer the paint job will last. Our BRC 6000 is made to chemically convert rust and prime all in one step. You need to thoroughly wire brush the surface prior to application to remove all heavy scaling rust, apply BRC 6000 and topcoat with your product of choice.

How do we touch up? Most customers touch up with our aerosol stainless, Supercoat-316L over the stainless coatings and use our Topcoat 2020 USDA White over our Topcoat-1010 and Epoxy Bond 2000W. You can also touch up with the actual products originally used.

How do we apply your coats? Most customers spray apply our products. They can be sprayed through conventional, airless, air assisted airless, HVLP and electrostatic systems with the proper tips and nozzles on the gun. They can also be brushed and rolled but are not as aesthetically pleasing when applied this way.

Do we have to prime before using your topcoats? Our Topcoat-1010 and Superlife-316 DTMR are both designed as direct to metal products and work well in dry atmospheres as a one coat product. However, in severe duty applications, such as washdown in a food processing plant, we strongly recommend priming first for the best overall durability.