Most modern large ships have metal skin. A ship's hull can be protected from the damaging effects of corrosion in several ways. The most common of these remains color. The choice of paint and the technology of its application depend, as a rule, on the purpose of the vessel.
Painting is still considered the most effective and simple way to protect the hull of a ship from rusting and corrosive effects of sea water. And for military ships, exterior paint is a tactical factor. The fact is that a warship at any time of the day must be poorly distinguishable on the water surface.
The traditional color of military ships is gray, with a variety of shades. In military jargon, this color is often called "ball". The specific color scheme is selected depending on the shade of the water in that part of the sea or ocean where the vessel is mainly used. For example, warships sailing in ocean waters have a slightly bluish tint. And for the fleet, carrying out missions in the Mediterranean Sea, the greenish color of the skin is characteristic.
Civil ships are usually painted black, which is rightly considered the most practical. But the above-deck buildings can have a wide variety of shades. Usually, the specific company that owns the ship uses the color schemes adopted in its symbols. The lower part of the hull of both military and civilian ships is painted with special compounds that can protect the hull from the effects of rust and algae.
Paint-and-lacquer coatings are applied to the surfaces to be painted in succession in several thin layers. This creates a durable film coating, which, after drying, is reliably held by adhesion forces. Painting is preceded by a primer and surface filler. The quality of adhesion of the composition to the surface, as well as the protective properties and resistance of the paint, entirely depends on such preliminary preparation.
The highest requirements are imposed on the coating of the underwater part of the vessel. Therefore, materials with anti-corrosion properties are used here: paints based on bitumen, rubber, vinyl and acrylic. Epoxy paints are widely used in the painting of housings. The surface of the ship is painted, as a rule, with oil paints, which include drying oil. Internal structural elements of ships are painted with conventional decorative paints of various shades.
At the shipyard, they try to paint the vessel in a short time - in a few days. Usually even huge buildings are painted not by automatic machines, but by teams of workers. At each stage, the quality control of the painting is carried out. Its task is to check compliance with the technology and identify possible staining defects. The painting of the ship begins from its hull, after which the above-deck structures and the interior of the ship are finished.
