Book excerpt: Paint coatings remain the most widely used way of protecting steel structures from corrosion. This important book reviews the range of organic paint coatings and how their performance can be enhanced to provide effective and lasting protection.The book begins by reviewing key factors affecting the success of a coating, including surface preparation, methods of application, selecting an appropriate paint and testing its effectiveness. It also discusses why coatings fail, including how they degrade, and what can be done to prevent these problems. Part two describes the main types of coating and how their performance can be enhanced, including epoxies, polyester, glass flake, fluoropolymer, polysiloxane and waterborne coatings. The final part of the book looks at applications of high-performance organic coatings in such areas as reinforced concrete, pipelines, marine and automotive engineering.With its distinguished editor and international team of contributors, High-performance organic coatings is a valuable reference for all those concerned with preventing corrosion in steel and other metal structures. - Reviews the factors affecting the success of a coating - Describes the main types of coating and how their performance can be enhanced, including epoxies, polyester and waterborne coatings - Examines applications in such areas as reinforced concrete pipelines and marine engineering