The rehabilitation of damaged pipeline coatings in the field is often done under cicumstances that are quite different from those in a factory when factory coatings are applied. The presence of salts, suplhurs, high humidity, mosquitos, sand, wind,  rain and moisture do not contribute to the creation of controlled ambient conditions for the proper application of a coating. Moreover NACE studies (1995) have proven that when applying coatings in the field there is a higher risk of coating failure due  to improper surface preparation, application failures, adhesion problems and microbiological induced corrosion. Combined with the fact that most coatings are not 100% impermeable to mositure and gases whereby disbondment and osmosis often occur, rehabilitation of coatings in the field usually will lead to degradation of the new coating within a short time span and hence a relative short life time of a coating.

The invention of so called vicous elastic coatings make it possible to eliminate the problems we are facing today with coating rehabilitation in the field. Viscous elastic coatings are usually amorphous polymer polyolefins with no crystaline behavior and with the ability to flow (under pressure). Due to a specific formulation, a coating has been designed with a low surface tension and with an immediate adhesion to any substrate or pipeline material without the need of a primer. Due to the fact that viscous elastic coatings are impervious to moisture and gases and have a very initimate and remaining contact with the pores of a substrate, disbondment and osmosis are very unlikley to occur. Their low surface tension and ability to flow and wet the surface enable them even to be applied on non blasted surfaces. Moreover their universal and easy application eliminate the risk of application failures. Hence viscous elastic coatings offer the applicant and pipeline owner a failure free solution for harsh conditions in the field.