Corrosion Protection Coatings for Steel Structures

Industrial steel structures are exposed to a range of corrosive conditions, including moisture, chemicals, UV radiation, and chloride contamination, which can degrade asset integrity, shorten service life, and drive-up maintenance and repair costs.

Teknos corrosion protection coatings are specifically engineered to safeguard steel and metal assets in demanding service environments, delivering long-term durability, reliable performance, and compliance with international standards such as ISO 12944.

Whether protecting bridges, industrial steelwork, oil & gas assets, or critical infrastructure such as data centers, Teknos offers advanced anti-corrosion coating systems that deliver long-term performance and cost-effective asset protection.

Contact our corrosion protection experts

What Are Corrosion Protection Coatings?

Corrosion protection coatings are specialized coating systems designed to protect metal surfaces from corrosion by limiting exposure to moisture, oxygen, chemicals, and other aggressive environmental factors.

Without effective corrosion protection, steel and metal structures are vulnerable to corrosion-related damage that can:

Lead to corrosion and rust formation.
Compromise structural integrity and performance.
Reduce operational service life.
Increase maintenance and repair requirements.
Result in costly downtime and operational disruptions.
Increase total lifecycle costs of the asset.

Industrial anti corrosion coatings create a durable barrier between the steel substrate and the surrounding environment, helping to prevent the ingress of moisture, oxygen, and other corrosive agents. Depending on the coating system, they can also deliver additional performance benefits, including chemical resistance, UV resistance, abrasion resistance, and long-term durability in aggressive service environments.

Our portfolio includes corrosion protection coating systems designed for the following applications:

carbon steel
galvanized & metallized steel
aluminium
stainless steel
Concrete surfaces

Have a look at our corrosion protection coating systems.

How Corrosion Develops on Steel and Metal Surfaces?

Corrosion occurs when metal reacts with oxygen and moisture in the environment. In industrial and outdoor conditions, exposure to humidity, chemicals, chlorides, pollutants, and temperature fluctuations accelerates this process significantly.

Typical corrosive environments include:

industrial plants (chemical emissions, sulphur compounds, pollutants)
coastal environments (airborne chlorides from the sea)
marine and offshore environments (chlorides, seawater immersion, high humidity)
bridges and urban infrastructure (moisture, mechanical wear, oxygen)
oil & Gas facilities (hydrocarbons, H₂S, CO₂, saline conditions)
power generation facilities (high temperatures, pollutants, chemical exposure)
water and wastewater facilities (continuous water exposure, microbial corrosion)

The level of environmental stress directly affects the required corrosion protection system. Selecting the right corrosion protection system therefore depends on:

environmental exposure
expected durability
substrate type
maintenance strategy
industry requirements

How Anti-Corrosion Coatings Protect Steel and Metal Surfaces

Industrial corrosion protection coatings work by mitigating the corrosion process before it can damage the substrate.

Zinc-Rich Protection

Zinc-rich primers provide cathodic protection to steel by acting as a sacrificial anode. The zinc corrodes preferentially, helping to prevent corrosion of the steel substrate even when the coating is damaged.

Barrier Protection

Barrier coatings function by creating a low-permeability film that restricts the ingress of water, oxygen, and aggressive chemicals to the surface. Epoxy coatings, often reinforced by barrier pigments, are commonly specified because of their durability, and resistance to aggressive exposure.

Multi-Layer Coating Systems

High-performance corrosion protection usually combines:

primers,
intermediate coats,
and durable topcoats.

These multi-layer systems improve corrosion resistance, barrier protection, UV stability, and long-term performance. Teknos develops corrosion protection coating systems tailored to different industrial environments and durability requirements.

Corrosivity Categories According to ISO 12944

Selecting the correct corrosion protection coating starts with understanding the corrosive environment. ISO 12944 defines atmospheric corrosivity categories that help determine the required coating system and expected durability.

Teknos anti corrosion coating systems are designed to comply with the performance requirements of ISO 12944 for onshore corrosivity categories C1 to C5 and associated durability ranges. Offshore and other extreme marine environments specified in ISO 12944-9 are not covered here and are evaluated separately due to their highly demanding service conditions.

Every offshore project has unique performance requirements. Contact us to discuss your application, and we'll help you identify the optimal corrosion protection solution for your environment.

Corrosivity Category	Environment Examples
C1	Dry, heated indoor environments
C2	Unheated buildings where condensation may occur
C3	Urban and industrial environments
C4	Chemical plants, coastal areas
C5	Aggressive industrial environments with high humidity and significant chloride exposure.

Our Recommended Corrosion Protection Coating Systems

We provide advanced corrosion resistant coating systems for a wide range of industrial applications.

Here you can see our proven coating systems for each corrosivity category from C2 to C5. We have categorized them into a standards-oriented system build-up and an efficiency-oriented system build-up. These anti corrosion coating systems are ideally suited for steel structures like in data centres, but can be used for other projects, as well.

Our experts are happy to help you find the right coatings for your individual project.

Anti corrosion coating - Standards-oriented system build-up

Proven corrosion protection excellence: Delivering maximum reliability, exceptional longevity, and sustainable asset preservation.

Download the standards-oriented systems with technical notes

Corrosivity Category C2 system

Outdoor areas: Dry climate, rural areas with very low levels of air pollution.

Indoors areas: Unheated buildings, storage rooms, or production facilities where condensation may occasionally occur.

Durability	Very High (>25 Years)
Surface preparation	Blasting in accordance with DIN EN ISO 8501-1, cleanliness grade Sa 2½, including the removal of rust, mill scale and contaminants, as well as dust removal prior to the start of coating.
Primer	Teknopox Primer 87-00 MIOX – Red-Oxide – 120µm NDFT
Top Coat	Teknodur 800-500 – Colour Shade as per specification – 60µm NDFT
Total Dry Film Thickness	180µm NDFT

Corrosivity Category C3 system

Outdoor areas: urban and industrial areas with moderate air pollution (e.g. sulphur dioxide) and coastal areas with low salt exposure.

Indoor areas: buildings with high humidity and moderate air pollution.

Durability	Very High (>25 Years)
Surface preparation	Blasting in accordance with DIN EN ISO 8501-1, cleanliness grade Sa 2½, including the removal of rust, mill scale and contaminants, as well as dust removal prior to the start of coating.
Primer	Teknopox Primer 87-00 MIOX – Red-Oxide – 180µm NDFT
Top Coat	Teknodur 800-500 – Colour Shade as per specification – 60µm NDFT
Total Dry Film Thickness	240µm NDFT

Corrosivity Category C4 system

Outdoor areas: Industrial areas with high levels of air pollution and coastal areas with moderate salt content (e.g. close to bridges, port facilities, chemical plants).

Indoor areas: Buildings with high humidity and high levels of chemical exposure.

Durability	Very High (>25 Years)
Surface preparation	Blasting in accordance with DIN EN ISO 8501-1, cleanliness grade Sa 2½, using sharp-edged blasting media (grit), including the removal of rust, mill scale and contaminants, as well as dust removal prior to the start of coating.
Primer	Teknomastic Combi 80E – Grey – 240µm NDFT
Top Coat	Teknodur 800-500 – Colour Shade as per specification – 60µm NDFT
Total Dry Film Thickness	300µm NDFT

Corrosivity Category C5 system

Outdoor areas: Industrial areas with high humidity and a corrosive atmosphere, as well as coastal areas with high salt exposure.

Indoor areas: Buildings or halls with almost constant condensation and heavy chemical contamination.

Durability	Very High (>25 Years)
Surface preparation	Blasting in accordance with DIN EN ISO 8501-1, cleanliness grade Sa 2½, using sharp-edged blasting media (grit), including the removal of rust, mill scale and contaminants, as well as dust removal prior to the start of coating.
Prime Coat	Epinox 21 – Grey – 60µm NDFT
Intermediate Coat	Teknopox Primer 87-00 MIOX – Red-Oxide – 200µm NDFT
Top Coat	Teknodur 800-500 – Colour Shade as per specification – 60µm NDFT
Total Dry Film Thickness	320µm NDFT

Anti corrosion coating - Efficiency-oriented system build-up

Less complexity, more efficiency: High-performance corrosion protection with a streamlined application process.

Download the efficiency-oriented systems with technical notes

Corrosivity Category C2 system

Outdoor areas: Dry climate, rural areas with very low levels of air pollution.

Indoors areas: Unheated buildings, storage rooms, or production facilities where condensation may occasionally occur.

Durability	Very High (>25 Years)
Surface preparation	Blasting in accordance with DIN EN ISO 8501-1, cleanliness grade Sa 2½, including the removal of rust, mill scale and contaminants, as well as dust removal prior to the start of coating.
Prime-/Top Coat	Teknoniso Combi 333-301 – Colour Shade as per specification
Total Dry Film Thickness	180µm NDFT

Corrosivity Category C3 system

Outdoor areas: urban and industrial areas with moderate air pollution (e.g. sulphur dioxide) and coastal areas with low salt exposure.

Indoor areas: buildings with high humidity and moderate air pollution.

Durability	Very High (>25 Years)
Surface preparation	Blasting in accordance with DIN EN ISO 8501-1, cleanliness grade Sa 2½, including the removal of rust, mill scale and contaminants, as well as dust removal prior to the start of coating.
Prime-/Top Coat	Teknoniso Combi 333-301 – Colour Shade as per specification
Total Dry Film Thickness	240µm NDFT

Corrosivity Category C4 system

Outdoor areas: Industrial areas with high levels of air pollution and coastal areas with moderate salt content (e.g. close to bridges, port facilities, chemical plants).

Indoor areas: Buildings with high humidity and high levels of chemical exposure.

Durability	Very High (>25 Years)
Surface preparation	Blasting in accordance with DIN EN ISO 8501-1, cleanliness grade Sa 2½, using sharp-edged blasting media (grit), including the removal of rust, mill scale and contaminants, as well as dust removal prior to the start of coating.
Prime Coat	Epinox 21 – Grey – 60µm NDFT
Top Coat	Teknoniso Combi 333-301 – colour shade as per specification – 200µm NDFT
Total Dry Film Thickness	260µm NDFT

Corrosivity Category C5 system

Outdoor areas: Industrial areas with high humidity and a corrosive atmosphere, as well as coastal areas with high salt exposure.

Indoor areas: Buildings or halls with almost constant condensation and heavy chemical contamination.

Durability	Very High (>25 Years)
Surface preparation	Blasting in accordance with DIN EN ISO 8501-1, cleanliness grade Sa 2½, using sharp-edged blasting media (grit), including the removal of rust, mill scale and contaminants, as well as dust removal prior to the start of coating.
Prime Coat	Epinox 21 – Grey – 60µm NDFT
Top Coat	Teknoniso Combi 333-301 – colour shade as per specification – 200µm NDFT
Total Dry Film Thickness	260µm NDFT

Why Choose Teknos Corrosion Protection Coatings?

Every project has unique requirements when it comes to corrosion protection, durability, appearance, and budget.

By offering a comprehensive portfolio of coating solutions, we can match the right corrosion protection system to virtually any project requirement, helping customers balance performance, durability, aesthetics, and investment to achieve the best possible outcome.

Further benefits:

High level of technical expertise.
ISO 12944 compliant systems.
Reduced maintenance costs.
Industrial-grade performance.
Support for complex industrial applications.
Tailored coating solutions for different environments.

We are happy to support you in finding the best anti-corrosion coating system for your needs.

Choosing the Right Corrosion Protection System

Selecting the optimal corrosion protection coating depends on several factors. Our experts help customers identify the right coating system depending on your requirements.