FerroGrip™

Surface Conditioner for Metal and Concrete;
Eliminates the Need for Abrasive Blasting

What It Is

FerroGrip is a unique and economical adhesion-enhancing and surface preparation compound designed to prepare metal surfaces for the application of protective coatings and to reduce or eliminate the need for more elaborate forms of surface preparation, such as abrasive blasting. FerroGrip also works very well on concrete as an environmentally-friendly alternative to acid etching or abrasive blasting.

How It Works

FerroGrip contains an anti-oxidant agent that, quite literally, dissolves rust and mill scale. It also contains a powerful degreaser, an industrial-grade surface penetrating compound and Madison’s proprietary AP-50 Adhesion Promoter. All of these work together to create adhesion comparable to that achieved with a thorough abrasive blast on most metal surfaces.

Atmospheric Service

Surfaces treated with FerroGrip can be coated with a number of Madison products that also contain AP-50 Adhesion Promoter. These work synergistically with FerroGrip to provide both a physical and a chemical bond to the substrate. In this way, these coatings will achieve adhesion normally expected from a commercial blast – about 1,500 p.s.i. This means that, for almost all types of atmospheric service, blasting is a thing of the past.

Embedded and Immersion Service

Even more remarkably, Madison has now developed several next-generation coatings that will achieve adhesion values normally associated with a near-white blast – in the 2,500 p.s.i. range. This means that Madison’s No-Blast technology can now be used for embedded and immersion service as well as atmospheric service.

For a list of Madison products that can be used for atmospheric, embedded and full immersion service using FerroGrip technology, view the application and end use summary in the sidebar at right.

Easy to Use

Using FerroGrip is the essence of simplicity. It feels like liquid soap and looks like car wash foam. It is sprayed using a low pressure sprayer to a thickness of about seven mils (something as simple as a garden weed sprayer will suffice for smaller projects). The pale green foam goes to work automatically. After 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the amount of rust and mill scale, it is removed with a power washer and ordinary tap water.

Huge Savings

The implications are enormous. The capital cost of setting up to use FerroGrip is less than 10% of the cost of constructing an abrasive blast facility. Ongoing maintenance costs are minimal; there’s nothing that wears out or needs repair. In addition, ongoing operating costs are about 50% lower than a commercial blast and about 75% lower than a near-white blast.

Much Safer Than Blasting

FerroGrip contains NO hazardous ingredients and has no onerous disposal requirements (at most, it may be necessary to neutralize the rinse water with baking soda). There are no loud noises, no annoying dust to clog your equipment (not to mention your lungs), no electrical or explosion hazards and no dangerous machinery.

Use On Many Substrates

Use on most metals such as cold rolled and hot rolled steel, aluminum, copper and ductile iron.

When FerroGrip is sprayed on concrete, it degreases and etches the surface and opens the pores so that any suitable coating will be able to penetrate the surface.

For Galvanized or weathering steel (Corten™) structures, refer instead to Madison GalvaGrip Surface Conditioner.

Typical Applications

End uses include:

• storage tanks, both shop-fabricated and field-erected
• any iron, steel, copper or aluminum building components such as trusses, beams, girders, panels/siding, roofing, or windows
• piping and conduits
• industrial/recreational equipment
• water/wastewater processing and storage facilities
• highway structures from signs and posts to guardrails and lamp standards
• mining
• marine
• food and beverage

Application Summary

A soap-like liquid, FerroGrip is simply sprayed at low pressure on to the surface prior to coating. Leave it for 30 to 40 minutes to remove oxidation and contamination and to leave a deposit of AP-50. Power wash off the resulting residue with ordinary tap water and thoroughly dry (compressed air or portable heaters work well). It is ready to coat with any protective coating that also contains AP-50. See the No-Blast application and end use summary in the sidebar above.

Related Product

GalvaGrip Surface Conditioner is recommended for galvanized steel.