Introduction to MicroSpear™

Madison’s Proprietary Anti-Microbial (“AM”) Technology

Microbiologically induced corrosion (MIC) refers to corrosion caused by biological organisms, often in an aqueous environment. MIC occurs in many common structures and facilities, including municipal water and wastewater pipelines, potable water storage vessels, fuel tanks and sewage treatment facilities, among others.

The presence of micro-organisms on a coating can be a significant threat in two distinctly different contexts:

In wastewater applications, microbes lower the pH of the water, create an acidic environment and accelerate corrosion. This can and does lead to catastrophic failure and significant repair expenditure. In drinking water applications, the colonization of microbes on the coating surface can present a public health threat.

Traditionally MIC was dealt with through a combination of water treatment chemicals (in wastewater treatment these were very toxic and were eliminated with the 1980 U.S. Clean Water Act) and older coatings technology, including coal tar epoxy.

Madison Chemical in the 1980s became the first coatings manufacturer to demonstrate that smooth, inert polyurethane coatings could provide an effective barrier in preventing the colonization of MIC organisms, at greater economy and efficacy than the older coatings technologies of the 1950s to 1970s.

Even more significantly, in the late 1990s, Madison made a true breakthrough, namely the commercialization of a permanent anti-microbial (AM) modification that is effective against a whole host of MIC organisms. We named that technology MicroSpear™.