EVERBERG, Belgium – A series of concrete bridges that support a new high-speed rail line connecting Beijing and Shanghai is set to benefit from the protective properties of specialty polyetheramines from the Performance Products division of Huntsman Corp.

The Chinese Ministry of Railways is building an 800-mile dedicated passenger rail link to ease pressure on one of China’s busiest transport routes. The route crosses the Yellow River and the Yangtze delta. Because of the soft terrain in this area and the need to minimize land usage, almost 80 percent of the line is being built on metal and concrete bridges that are compatible with the transportation system already in place. It is on these structures that Huntsman’s polyetheramines will be used.

JEFFAMINE® D-2000, JEFFAMINE T-5000 and JEFFAMINE D-400 polyetheramines have been used to create a polyurea-based coating that is being sprayed onto the bridges’ concrete slabs, which act as a hardwearing base for the ballast-less tracks. Forming a waterproof protective layer, the coating will guard the concrete against weather, abrasion, and general wear and tear.