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Contrarian Metal Resources' InvariMatte®
Grows Bigger with New InvariMatte Black Stainless Steel Finish
Corrosion-Resistant and Impervious to Ultraviolet Light
Allison Park, PA…Contrarian Metal Resources, a Pittsburgh-based, high-
performance architectural metals company serving clients throughout the
world, has just added another InvariMatte®
of products: InvariMatte®
with a thin black oxide film.
The lineup of InvariMatte stainless steel finishes has proved popular in many
market sectors and, in particular, has allowed Contrarian Metal Resources to
gain a strong foothold in the airport construction market.
InvariMatte®
can be applied to roofing and wall panels, as well as coping and trim. The
black chromium oxide film is produced electrochemcially in collaboration with
Prismatic Stainless Steel, a division of B&M Finishers, Inc.
"Unlike blackened zinc or painted metals, InvariMatte Black offers a rich dark
finish that will last indefinitely, since the oxide film does not react to
ultraviolet light or atmospheric conditions", said Jim Halliday, President of
Contrarian Metal Resources.
Metal, particularly stainless steel, is showing up more frequently on newly-
constructed airport exteriors across the country. The trend marks an
important juncture for airport construction specifiers mindful that some metal
products are less suitable for airport settings than others – those that have
reflective properties, require paint, or corrode when exposed to jet fuel
emissions. Not so with Contrarian Metal Resources' InvariMatte®
corrosion-resistant, uncoated stainless steel finish with low glare and a long
lifecycle.
In addition to sun, wind and precipitation, airport exteriors are continually
exposed to jet fuel residue, earth-rumbling engines and the repercussions of
heavy traffic. The materials used to construct these exteriors must stand up
to these elements and maintain an aesthetic standard. Stainless steel
accomplishes both goals.
InvariMatte resists the threat of corrosion from atmospheric conditions and
trapped moisture.
Data collected from the Nickel Development Institute indicates that aluminum,
a common alternative to stainless steel, corrodes several times faster. While
a layer of paint is effective for extending the life of an aluminum panel, it can
actually have a detrimental effect on corrosion resistance if that layer is
breached and moisture is trapped at the metal interface. Incidental damage
to roof panels – punctures in the paint, or dents and dings – can easily occur
from routine maintenance or weather events, such as hailstorms. If moisture
and contaminants - like sulfur dioxide and chlorides - are trapped at the metal
surface, rapid deterioration, known as crevice corrosion, will occur.
With InvariMatte, no paint is needed, allowing the natural beauty of stainless
steel to shine through.
Aside from physical damage done to them, painted surfaces do not stand up
well in an airport environment because of jet fuel residue. Kerosene-
applications. More to the point, however, is the fact that "resistance"
fuel does not equate with "imperviousness."
make the claim that it is impervious to jet fuel.
Low Glare
In addition to being visually uniform, Contrarian's InvariMatte has low
reflectivity compared to typical stainless steel finishes. For that reason, it
can be used on airports as prominently visible exterior walls and roofs with no
risk of glare or reflection that could compromise a pilot's sight. InvariMatte
has lower gloss (
