Equipment failures in water treatment facilities follow predictable patterns, but their timing remains frustratingly unpredictable. Take a centrifugal pump impeller that failed six months early, destroyed by cavitation damage that wasn’t expected to happen for at least another 18 months.
Emergency protocols kick in, but what about the replacement impeller? Three weeks minimum delivery and backup systems struggle under full load.
This scenario plays out across Australia’s water infrastructure daily. Corrosion costs 3–5% of Australia’s GDP, that’s tens of billions annually, and water treatment facilities take the brunt of this and face some of the most aggressive conditions imaginable for its components.
The persistence of water corrosion
Water treatment combines the worst possible conditions for component destruction. Equipment challenges include the following:
Chemical bombardment: pH swings from 2 to 11 throughout the treatment process. Chlorine attacks protective oxide layers. Dissolved oxygen accelerates electrochemical reactions.
Physical assault: Suspended particles sandblast surfaces. Cavitation from pump impellers creates microscopic hammering. Flow turbulence creates erosion-corrosion (mechanical wear and chemical attack team-up)
The multiplier effect: Combine warm water, chlorination, and pH fluctuations, and corrosion rates jump 10 times higher than any single factor alone.
This is why standard stainless steel fails in 2-3 years, painted surfaces offer zero protection against erosion; and even high-grade duplex steels struggle with pitting in chlorinated environments.
Pumps, valves, and pipelines are attacked relentlessly with unplanned shutdowns costing $50,000+ per day (for major facilities). Emergency repairs run five times more than planned work. Corrosion-related leaks waste treated water, chemicals, and energy along with tightening water quality standards leaving no room for metal leaching.
So, what’s the smarter alternative? Surface engineering, particularly HVAF coating. It creates dense, low-porosity barriers with exceptional bond strength, blocking chemical ingress and resisting erosion that results in longer life, fewer shutdowns, and compliance without compromise.
The science of HVAF coating microstructure
High Velocity Air Fuel (HVAF) coating builds an armoured shell around components. Microscopically speaking, it offers:
Dense protection: HVAF creates coatings with less than 2% porosity vs conventional coatings with 10-15% porosity. Those tiny holes in epoxy become highways for corrosive chemicals, but HVAF blocks these pathways completely.
Impact resistance: The process creates hardness levels exceeding 1000 HV – harder than many cutting tools. When suspended solids hit the surface, they bounce off instead of gouging channels.
True metallurgical bonding: Unlike paint that sits on the surface, HVAF creates atomic-level bonds with the substrate. The coating becomes part of the component, not just something stuck on top.
Research also confirms HVAF’s superior resistance to cavitation and erosion compared to traditional methods; a measurable performance to keep in mind when matching the right coating to your conditions.
High solids demand carbide coatings. Extreme pH needs ceramics. Chloride environments require specialised alloys. A1 Metallising follows through this with a high-velocity process that creates a nearly solid coatings using advanced carbide composites.
This targeted approach protects pumps, impellers, digesters, and aeration systems with the right defence for each application.
Keeping water treatment one step ahead
Water treatments continually face issues like:
- Desalination – creates hypersaline conditions that attack traditional materials within months
- Wastewater recycling – introduces aggressive pharmaceutical residues and industrial by-products
- Climate extremes – droughts and floods – concentrated harmful substances that make water chemistry harsher than systems were designed for
A1Metallising’s expertise provides adaptive solutions for unpredictable water chemistry. Instead of relying on standard materials, we match coating properties to real-world water conditions.
This approach supports sustainability and circular economy principles by helping water utilities meet ESG goals by extending equipment life, preventing leaks, and reducing emergency repairs, all while cutting emissions.
HVAF technology aligns perfectly with this approach as it achieves 70-80% material efficiency versus 40-50% for traditional methods. Components last 3-4 times longer, reducing replacement frequency compared to manufacturing new parts.
A tailored coating strategy against corrosion
Corrosion costs water utilities billions, but advanced surface engineering offers a proven solution to stop it at a microstructural level.
Modern water treatment requires coatings engineered for real chemical and physical stresses, not standard materials that fail under pressure. It should protect infrastructure while advancing sustainability goals.
Success also comes from partnerships between water utilities and coating specialists who understand both water chemistry and coating science. Surface engineering shouldn’t just protect equipment but also keep critical infrastructure reliable when operating conditions exceed what anyone planned for.
Corrosion is costly, but prevention isn’t.
Contact A1 Metallising Services to assess your critical water infrastructure and develop a tailored coating strategy that protects your assets and the environment. our specific application needs.
