MC-Bauchemie MC-DUR 1700
A solvent-based coal-tar epoxy combination coating engineered to shield steel and concrete against acids, fuels, saltwater and solvents in refineries, ports and chemical plants.
What is it?
A two-component, solvent-containing coal-tar epoxy combination coating, reinforced with spherical and fibrous fillers, that cures into a tough, touch-elastic black barrier coat.
Where is it used?
Refineries, chemical and process plants, steel works, hydraulic structures, tank farms and foundations — plus, with a sand or chippings filler, bridges, ramps and footpaths.
Why use it?
Its coal-tar component blocks moisture and resists a wide spread of chemicals — acids, alkalis, fuels, oils, solvents — while the epoxy resin supplies mechanical strength and adhesion that plain bituminous coatings can’t match.
How is it applied?
Resin and hardener are drill-mixed 4:1 by weight, then brush-, roller- or airless-spray-applied in two coats to build 75-150 microns DFT over blast-cleaned steel or primed concrete.
About MC-Bauchemie MC-DUR 1700
MC-DUR 1700 is MC-Bauchemie’s solvent-containing, two-component coal-tar epoxy combination coating — a category of heavy-duty protective coating that blends the mechanical toughness and adhesion of epoxy resin with the inherent water-repellence and chemical inertness of coal tar. Reinforced with spherical and fibrous fillers and formulated slightly thixotropic, it goes on in thicker single coats without sagging off vertical steel or structural members, then cures into a black, touch-elastic film that resists distilled water, dissolved salts, dilute acids and caustic solutions, fuels, mineral oils and a wide range of other solvents. It’s the kind of coating you specify when a structure is going to sit in standing water, buried ground, or a chemically hostile plant environment for decades — not the kind you’d pick for a showroom floor.
In the Indian market, MC-DUR 1700 shows up most often on steel tankage, pipe racks, foundations and hydraulic structures inside refineries, fertiliser and process-chemical plants, and ports along the west coast — anywhere corrosion protection matters more than appearance. It also has a secondary life as a wearing course: mixed with fire-dried sand or chippings, it builds an asphalt-like surface for bridges, ramps and footpaths. Because it’s coal-tar based, it isn’t a fit everywhere — MC-Bauchemie itself flags that it shouldn’t be used where the coal-tar odour, black-only colour or physiological concerns rule it out, such as drinking-water tanks, food-contact areas or occupied interiors. Where those constraints don’t apply, it remains a cost-effective, field-proven corrosion barrier that Space Arc supplies and applies across Delhi NCR and pan-India industrial sites.
The technical insight
Coal-tar epoxies like MC-DUR 1700 work on a two-material logic: the coal-tar fraction is naturally hydrophobic with very low water-vapour permeability, so it chokes off the moisture pathway that drives corrosion under a coating, while the epoxy resin fraction supplies the crosslinked mechanical strength, abrasion resistance and substrate adhesion that raw coal-tar paints never had on their own. The spherical and fibrous aggregate reinforcement is what makes the difference in practice — it gives the mixed material enough thixotropy to hold 75-150 microns of film on a vertical steel plate without slumping, letting the applicator reach a useful dry-film thickness in two coats rather than four or five. The touch-elastic cure is deliberate too: steel structures move thermally, and a fully rigid film would crack at welds and flanges long before a touch-elastic coal-tar epoxy would. None of this makes it a flooring product in the trafficked, decorative sense — it’s a corrosion-protection coating first, which is why Space Arc classifies it under protective coatings rather than industrial flooring.
Where it is used
- Anti-corrosion coating for structural and exposed steel — tanks, pipe racks, foundations
- Protective lining for cement-bound concrete structures exposed to aggressive chemicals
- Hydraulic engineering works — canals, effluent channels, water-retaining structures
- Refinery, fertiliser and chemical-plant steelwork, tankage and process equipment
- Steel works and printing-industry equipment protection
- Foundations and substructures exposed to soil moisture and ground chemicals
- Asphalt-like wearing course on bridges, ramps and footpaths, using a sand or chippings filler
- Timber protection in industrial settings
Key advantages
- Broad chemical resistance — acids, alkalis, fuels, mineral oils, salts and a wide range of solvents
- Touch-elastic film tolerates thermal movement of steel without the cracking a rigid coating would show
- Thixotropic formulation holds thick coats on vertical steel without sagging or flowing
- Excellent adhesion to steel, galvanised steel and aluminium — even without a primer on clean, dry substrates
- Reaches 75-150 microns DFT in just two coats, cutting application time and labour
- Can be overcoated with itself even after long service intervals, needing only surface cleaning first
- Applicable by brush, roller or airless spray, with a dedicated spray-grade variant available
- Tropical grade available, suited to hot, humid Indian site conditions
Limitations & considerations
- Solvent-containing formulation — needs ventilation, fire precautions and PPE during mixing and application
- Coal-tar content restricts use in potable-water tanks, food-contact areas and occupied interiors on odour and physiological grounds
- Application is weather-gated: minimum +5°C substrate/ambient temperature and maximum 85% relative humidity
- Black colour only — no aesthetic or light-reflective finish options
- Not a trafficked flooring topping in the warehouse-epoxy sense; needs a sand or chippings filler to serve as a wearing course
- Overcoating with a different, non-coal-tar coloured coating needs compatibility confirmation from MC-Bauchemie first
Selection & best practice
Blast-clean steel to at least Sa 2½ (per SIS 05 59 00-1967 or ROST specification 2.212) to strip mill scale, rust and any oil film before coating — MC-DUR 1700 adheres well to clean steel, zinc-coat and aluminium without a primer, but rust, grease or moisture on the surface will cause it to fail. On absorbent concrete, lay down a slightly thinned primer coat first; never thin the material itself when coating non-absorbent (metal) surfaces. Mix resin and hardener at exactly 4:1 by weight using a slow-speed electric drill and paddle, then box the mix between two containers to ensure full homogeneity, emptying packs completely so the ratio stays correct. Apply in two coats to reach 75-150 microns DFT at 250-300 g/m² consumption, keeping substrate and ambient temperature above +5°C and relative humidity under 85%. For spray application, use the dedicated “Airless Quality” grade and balance pressure against viscosity for a uniform film.
Specifications
| Product Type | Two-component, solvent-containing coal-tar epoxy combination coating |
| Mixing Ratio (Resin : Hardener) | 4 : 1 by weight |
| Minimum Application Temperature | +5°C (max. 85% relative humidity) |
| Dry Film Thickness | 75-150 microns |
| Consumption | 250-300 g/m² for two coats |
| Colour | Black |
| Shelf Life | 6 months from date of manufacture |
| Pack Sizes | Resin: 30 kg pail & 5 kg can | Hardener: 5 kg can & 1 kg bottle |
| Steel Surface Preparation | Blast clean to Sa 2½ (SIS 05 59 00-1967 / ROST 2.212) |
Industry use cases
Refinery & Petrochemical
Anti-corrosion coating on external steel tankage and pipe racks exposed to hydrocarbon spillage and weathering.
Effluent & Water Treatment
Lining for concrete channels and chambers handling dilute acids, alkalis and process effluent.
Bridges & Infrastructure
Sand-filled, asphalt-like wearing coat on ramps, footpaths and bridge structures.
Chemical & Process Plants
Corrosion protection for structural steel foundations and equipment supports in aggressive plant environments.
Ports & Hydraulic Structures
Protective coating for steel piling, sluice gates and other hydraulic-engineering steelwork.
Frequently asked questions
Is MC-DUR 1700 safe for drinking-water tanks?
Does MC-DUR 1700 need a primer?
What is the mixing ratio and how should it be mixed?
Can an old MC-DUR 1700 coating be recoated?
What surface preparation does the steel need?
What colour does MC-DUR 1700 come in?
How we position MC-Bauchemie MC-DUR 1700
Within MC-Bauchemie’s own MC-DUR range, MC-DUR 1700 sits alongside MC-DUR 1500 TOF — a solvent-free alternative the manufacturer itself names as an option for the same sand-filled, asphalt-like wearing-course use — and general-purpose floor coatings such as MC-DUR 1800 for areas where coal tar isn’t wanted or where trafficked-floor performance matters more than immersion resistance. Positioned by function rather than by the “flooring” label alone, MC-DUR 1700 is really an anti-corrosion protective coating, and it competes most directly with coal-tar epoxy systems from other majors — chiefly Fosroc’s Nitocote ET402, a solvent-free, 100%-solids coal-tar extended epoxy built for the same seawater, effluent and chemical-exposure duty. Specifiers should treat these as close functional equivalents that differ mainly in solvent content and site handling, choosing between them based on VOC requirements, ambient conditions and the applicator’s experience with each system. Space Arc supplies and applies both the MC-Bauchemie and Fosroc ranges across Delhi NCR and pan-India project sites.
Fosroc Nitocote ET402 — Specifiers needing a solvent-free, 100%-solids coal-tar extended epoxy for continuous immersion work — seawater tanks, effluent structures — sometimes prefer Fosroc’s Nitocote ET402 over MC-DUR 1700’s solvent-based formulation, especially where on-site VOC restrictions apply.
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