Lab Report
Tailored In-House Testing: Superior Protection for Aggressive Waste Stream Environments
When a major hazardous waste disposal provider experienced ISO tank liner failure within a year of service, APC ran a tailored 192-day in-house immersion study comparing ChemLINE® 784 and ChemLINE® 784 ES against an aggressive waste stream, with no signs of coating breakdown observed.
Summary
A liner failing within a year demanded a more reliable alternative.
Storing and transporting aggressive chemicals comes with immense responsibility, especially when these commodities are moved across open roads. When a major hazardous waste disposal provider faced the failure of their current ISO tank liner within a year, they turned to the Advanced Polymer Coatings ChemLINE® team for a more reliable alternative.
As part of its commitment to quality and customer satisfaction, APC conducted a tailored, in-house lab test to confirm the coating would meet the client's needs and support a warranty, a critical step for waste stream applications where testing is essential. To maintain confidentiality, the customer's test solution is referred to throughout as an "Aggressive Waste Stream."
Test Method
Two coating systems, two cure profiles, six months of continuous exposure.
Samples of standard ChemLINE® 784 were cured at 122°C for 6 hours, while ChemLINE® 784 ES was cured at a higher temperature of 149°C for the same duration, ensuring each system reached its intended cured state before exposure.
Once cured, samples were immersed in the Aggressive Waste Stream solution at 40°C to simulate elevated service conditions, remaining in continuous exposure for 192 days. Samples were removed at regular intervals, rinsed, and visually examined weekly or semi-weekly depending on the test stage, with particular attention to pitting, blistering, softening, cracking, loss of adhesion, delamination, discoloration, and weight change.
- Coating 1 ChemLINE® 784 — cured at 122°C / 6 hours
- Coating 2 ChemLINE® 784 ES — cured at 149°C / 6 hours
- Test medium Aggressive Waste Stream (confidential, hazardous waste disposal)
- Temperature 40°C
- Duration 192 days (~6 months)
- Monitoring Weight change + visual inspection, weekly/semi-weekly
Results
Cosmetic discoloration only — no signs of coating breakdown.
ChemLINE® 784 and ChemLINE® 784 ES demonstrated strong performance throughout exposure to the aggressive waste stream solution. While samples developed a slight greenish discoloration, the change appeared cosmetic and did not indicate coating breakdown or loss of protection.
No signs of degradation were observed during the inspection period. Coating surfaces remained intact, with no evidence of softening, pitting, blistering, delamination, dulling, loss of gloss, or significant weight change, indicating the coatings maintained stability and continued to provide a protective barrier under aggressive exposure conditions.
- No pitting, blistering, softening, or delamination observed
- Discoloration noted was cosmetic, not indicative of breakdown
- No significant weight change across either coating system
- Coating stability maintained through full 192-day exposure
Conclusion
Validated performance for waste stream applications, by design.
The study supports the use of ChemLINE® coatings in waste stream applications where chemical resistance and long-term durability are critical. It also reinforces the importance of application-specific laboratory testing, since waste streams can vary widely in chemistry, temperature, concentration, and exposure duration, making tailored, in-house testing essential rather than optional for this category of service.