Fab TimesIf you are interested in reading articles about the metal fabrication industry, including robotic welding, lean processes, e-coating, and powder coating, check out our blog, The Fab Times. Sign up to receive new posts as soon as they are published. No spam, guaranteed!https://www.schuettemetals.com/blogCARC: the Impervious nature of an important painthttps://www.schuettemetals.com/blog/postid/25/carc-the-impervious-nature-of-an-important-paintProtective FinishingWed, 01 Apr 2020 18:39:00 GMT<p>Chemical Agent Resistant Coating, commonly referred to as CARC, is a paint applied to military vehicles. <a href="https://www.schuettemetals.com/blog/id/14/where-did-carc-come-from-and-why-its-important">CARC ensures</a> their metal surfaces remain resistant to oxidation and puncturing by chemical or biological agents.</p> <p>CARC is a robust and adaptable automotive-grade polyurethane paint. Automotive-grade polyurethane coatings have the common attributes that any protective coating has. These attributes include high shine, exceptional durability, and high resistance to abrasion and corrosion.</p> <p>However, CARC offers distinctive qualities that differentiate it from other products readily available in the market. Here are the attributes that make CARC the coating of choice for military vehicles and equipment.</p> <h2>CARC Coating is a Military Requirement</h2> <p><img src="/Portals/0/Images/JLTV_CARC.jpg?ver=2020-03-31-134954-210" alt="JLTV_CARC" longdesc="JLTV_CARC" style="float: right; margin: 12px;" />All CARC coatings have a very matte finish. This type of finish means they don't have the luster or gloss of most automotive-grade polyurethane paints. The matte finish reduces visibility generally caused by the glow or reflection of the sun or other sources of shining light.</p> <p>First developed in 1974, the <a href="https://www.militarytrader.com/mv-101/carc-chemical-agent-resistant-coating">military made CARC coating</a> a requirement for all combat, combat support, tactical transport vehicles, aircraft, as well as all support machinery. The finish is a low-gloss adaptation of polyurethane paint designed for military use with a coating that is very difficult to destroy, with a four times longer life span than the alkyd paint previously used by the army.</p> <h2>CARC Has Low Porosity and High Durability</h2> <p>CARC is a paint coating with very low porosity. This feature enables it to stop chemical or biological warfare agents from getting absorbed into the finish. Porosity makes the process of decontamination easier, considerably lowering battlefield decontamination time.</p> <p>The finish not only has a chemical makeup that hinders toxic warfare agents from pervading military vehicles and equipment but can also easily withstand wear and tear.</p> <p>For a while now, CARC has been used in battle zones to safeguard vital military infrastructure, vehicles, and apparatus from harmful chemical and biological substances such as mustard gas and various types of poisonous agents. In case there's a chemical or biological attack, personnel uses ordinary military decontamination solutions for getting rid of the contaminants.</p> <h2>Essential Attributes of CARC's Effectiveness</h2> <p>Apart from chemical resistance and durability, CARC has other distinctive features. One worth mentioning is the base green color, which the army referrers to as <a href="https://www.paintcenter.org/rj/oct05q.php">Green 383</a>. This color imitates the reflectiveness of chlorophyll, which found in all flora. This feature makes vehicles harder to detect by infrared detection equipment. Visual and infrared camouflaging is a significant plus for the military when they want to avoid detection or want to confound enemies that are using infrared technology.</p> <p><img src="/Portals/0/Images/CARC%20Green%20383%20Tan%20686A.jpg?ver=2020-03-31-134828-130" alt="CARC Green 383 Tan 686A" longdesc="CARC Green 383 Tan 686A" style="float: left; margin: 12px;" />Another significant development with the CARC coating is the <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=_hNjDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT983&lpg=PT983&dq=Tan+686&source=bl&ots=6jNUf8t2hq&sig=ACfU3U3VTXEywSZPgx2qlz6vA188tf0_MQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi1go28sLHoAhUFZc0KHTfGA904ChDoATAHegQIChAB">Tan 686</a> color redeveloped with higher reflectivity shades to lessen the number of solar heat vehicles would take in. The amount of sun absorbed by vehicles was causing a <a href="https://www.marines.mil/Portals/1/Publications/U.S.%20Marines%20in%20the%20Persian%20Gulf,%201990-1991_With%20the%20I%20Marine%20Expeditionary%20Force%20in%20Desert%20Shield.pdf?ver=2017-06-01-134642-233">genuine and significant concern</a> throughout Operation Desert Shield.</p> <p>Later, a color change with the label Tan 686A got introduced to lessen the proportion of light on the surface of military vehicles. New batches of Tan 686A were produced and brought in to cater to the supply requirements, and the latest version became the preferred paint for the surface of military vehicles.</p> <h2>Safety Concerns Regarding CARC Painting</h2> <p>It is essential to be safe when painting vehicles or anything else with Chemical Agent Resistant Coating, just like you would when using any paint. It would be best to protect yourself using a respirator with a HEPA filter. You should also make sure you are sufficiently covered, so coveralls and rubber gloves are a must. Instead of wearing safety glasses, you should put on splash goggles since they will protect you better from the paint's thinner.</p> <p>Make sure the thinner and the paint itself are kept far away from any open flame sources. When painting with CARC, make sure you do it in an area with adequate ventilation. Once it's dry, CARC is completely safe unless it's compromised by sanding or grinding. Over the years, CARC has become essential to military strategy and operations. Today, vehicles and equipment in the military can be used repeatedly without anxiety about future contaminants. By using CARC, you can rest assured that any surface it covers will resist future chemical and biological attacks.</p>25Where did CARC Come From and Why It's Importanthttps://www.schuettemetals.com/blog/postid/37/where-did-carc-come-from-and-why-its-importantProtective FinishingTue, 03 Dec 2019 20:04:00 GMT<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Where did CARC Come From and Why It's Important" src="/Portals/0/LiveBlog/blog/Where-CARC-Come-Important.jpg?ver=bMpOAaWIYD8ubnMBOoLYPw%3d%3d" style="border-width: 2px; border-style: solid; width: 895px; height: 432px;" /></p> <p>The procedure is the same for both vehicles, at least superficially. The intricacies, on the other hand, differ.</p> <p>Has a vehicle with a unique paint job or eye-catching graphics caught your attention while driving down a highway? Unless that vehicle has a particularly unique color scheme or graphics, I doubt you would notice it.</p> <p>Instead of driving down a highway, you're now home watching TV. You find a documentary or news story about our military on the small screen. Have you wondered how they are painted?</p> <p>Are you aware of the various painting methods used in the military versus civilian vehicles?</p> <p>The procedure is the same for both types of vehicles, except for the minor details.</p> <h2>Painting Commercial Vehicles</h2> <p>Much has changed since the <a href="https://www.jdpower.com/cars/shopping-guides/modern-automotive-paint">first cars rolled</a> off Henry Ford's assembly line, they were painted by hand. As good as those painters were, they wasted paint, and the application wasn't uniform.</p> <p><img alt="Commercial Auto Industrial Painting" longdesc="Commercial Auto Industrial Painting" src="/Portals/0/Images/Commercial%20Auto%20Industrial%20Painting.jpg?ver=2019-12-02-102423-593" style="margin: 10px; float: right;" />These problems were solved when robotics revolutionized the auto industry by automating paint lines in US auto plants.</p> <p>There is a <a href="https://www.jdpower.com/cars/shopping-guides/modern-automotive-paint">preparation phase</a> for any painting procedure. In our case, components start with a degreasing stage, removing any contaminants remaining from the manufacturing process.</p> <p>Next, the metal is treated and coated with zinc providing better corrosion protection and greater adhesion for the upcoming painting steps.</p> <p>After taking these baths, a primer coat is added. Components are introduced to an electrostatic process using a current that attaches paint more economically than a handheld spray gun. This e-coat uses less paint and provides more excellent uniform coverage than earlier methods.</p> <p>The second layer is adding a clear coat to the parts. The clear coating not only protects the vehicle from sun damage, but it also plays a crucial role in minor dings. The clear coat takes the hit instead of the paint. Any chance for rust diminishes when preventing moisture from reaching the metal substrate.</p> <h2>CARC: Military Coating</h2> <p>What does CARC stand for? Chemical Agent Resistant Coating. CARC is a matte military version of the polyurethane paints developed and used on commercial products. </p> <p>What makes CARC different than commercial coatings is how it protects chemical and biological contaminants from soaking in. Preventing absorption is key. Dangerous contaminants bead up on the surface, making decontamination relatively easy.</p> <p>The CARC finish is resistant to fading and more durable than the paint the military used in the past. The new process lasts <a href="https://www.militarytrader.com/mv-101/carc-chemical-agent-resistant-coating">up to four times</a> longer, meaning vehicles wouldn't need to be repainted, saving maintenance costs.</p> <p>Vehicles aren't the <a href="https://www.pfonline.com/articles/best-defense-military-approved-carc-powder-coats">only pieces of equipment</a> requiring CARC paint. Missile launchers, rotary and fixed-wing aircraft, artillery pieces, water purification units, generators, forklifts, and communication vans also receive the military coating.</p> <h3>CARC Evolution</h3> <p>There are several theories of how the concept of CARC developed. One theory tells of the story of dismantling and analyzing a <a href="https://www.powdercoatedtough.com/News/ID/484/CARC-Powder-Coatings-An-Update">captured Russian tank</a> in the early 1970s. Results showed the Russians possessed a coating system providing easy decontamination against chemical attacks.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.militarytrader.com/mv-101/carc-chemical-agent-resistant-coating">US Army adopted the CARC</a> process in 1983 and issued guidelines to transition from older methods to CARC. This transition began in earnest in 1985.</p> <p>In his book, <em>America's Struggle with Chemical-Biological Warfare</em>, <a href="https://bit.ly/2OF5G1Z">Albert J. Mauroni wrote</a> about the importance of survivability for equipment and personnel:</p> <blockquote>As part of survivability studies conducted to see how military equipment stood up to CB agents and decontaminates, scientists had observed that oil-based military paints had a tendency to absorb chemical agents, holding them in the paint and extending the standard contamination times. </blockquote> <blockquote>Chemical Agent Resistant Coating (CARC) was developed in early 1980 combatting this problem. By utilizing an alkaloid-based polyurethane paint instead of oil-based paint, military equipment could resist chemical agent absorption, making decontamination easier. The program successfully passed its agent tests and a final in-progress review in 1981. This feature became Army policy in 1983 for all equipment.</blockquote> <h3>CARC Specifications</h3> <p>The US Department of Defense (DoD) <a href="https://www.pfonline.com/articles/best-defense-military-approved-carc-powder-coats">outlined new specifications</a> vendors are required to meet for the primer and topcoat:</p> <blockquote> <ul> <li><strong>Type I Coating</strong> <ol> <li>—epoxy-based primer, chemical agent resistant coating.</li> </ol> <strong>Type II Coating</strong> <ol> <li>—an epoxy-based primer for interior components, chemical agent resistant coating,</li> </ol> <strong>Type III Coating</strong> <ol> <li>—camouflage top coatings, chemical agent resistant coating. The primary colors required by the ARL are 383Green, 686 Tan, Aircraft Green, Black, and Brown.</li> </ol> <strong>Type IV Coating</strong> <ol> <li>—coatings for ammunition containers.</li> </ol> </li> </ul> </blockquote> <p>A company seeking to work with the DoD must undergo a difficult, rigorous vetting process.</p> <h3>CARC Benefits</h3> <p>These military coatings benefit our armed services in many ways, but there are three primary benefits:</p> <h4>Chemical Resistance</h4> <p>Military vehicles are protected from biological and chemical agents using CARC coating. People and equipment are protected from such weapons because chemicals cannot penetrate the vehicle's exterior. Military coatings protect people and equipment inside those vehicles by protecting them from chemical weapons. </p> <h4>Reduction in Signature/Camo</h4> <p><meta charset="utf-8" /></p> <p>Since you cannot see what you cannot shoot, CARC provides signature-reducing properties that diminish the effectiveness of enemy systems.</p> <h4>Improved Durability</h4> <p>Military vehicles using CARC benefit from the durability the finish provides. Using <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3148621/">nonsiliceous polymeric beads</a>, CARC is a water-dispensible surface providing superior mar resistance, weather durability, and flexibility.</p> <h4>CARC-Related Health Concerns</h4> <p>The CARC paint of early ages contained hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that were dangerous to people and the environment with constant exposure.</p> <p>CARC benefits from continuous research and improvements in painting methods and technology, which are subject to stringent guidelines from vendors to ensure homogenous painted parts with consistent applications and improved VOC emissions.</p> <h2>In Sum</h2> <p>Production of CARC components by US metal fabrication companies is crucial in maintaining quality and effectiveness without driving up costs.</p> <p>Modern military coatings are much higher in quality than those used generations ago. CARC paints and procedures have evolved and improved over the years.</p> <p>Paint on a vehicle is not considered significant other than for aesthetic reasons. However, looking more closely, you will see that CARC paints offer a layer of protection that civilians would not consider necessary.</p> <p>It is imperative that any branch of our military not be subject to chemical or biological attack. If they are, CARC's importance becomes glaringly obvious.</p> 37