What is Polyurea? 

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Polyurea is a two-component elastomer consisting of a polyisocyanate and a amine terminated resin. When combined at the correct ratio, the two components form a urea linkage, the exothermic heat in turn pushes the reaction to completion. High pressure spray equipment is used to apply a polyurea coating by uniformly spraying the material on to the surface.

Since the early 1990’s it has been primary used for industrial applications; manholes, pipelines, tank linings, water/sewer treatment plants and the automotive industry. Known for its chemical resistance to salts, fuel, oil and harsh chemicals, high abrasion resistance earned it a place in the mining and drilling industry. Polyurea is 98% more flexible than epoxy, which accommodates movement in concrete, as it bridges cracks, and it won’t crack or peel from the substrate.

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The coatings industry has come a long way over the past 30 years, today's modern polyurea 

coatings are among the most advanced resins ever developed. With over 40 formulations, polyureas, more than any other polymer coating, stand out in their versatility, strength aand longevity. They are the next step in the coatings evolution that have quickly caught the attention of engineers and architects as a product that should be specified for its unsurpassed waterproofing capabilities.

Builders, contractors, engineers and fabricators needed a fast-cure, moisture-insensitive coating system. They required a variety of physical properties, excellent adhesion, smooth surface flow out, superior tensile strength and high abrasion resistance. A polyurea system can be customized for nearly every application.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Key Benefits

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Fast Reaction Time-

Polyurea's fast reaction time (5-15 seconds) leaves polyurethane and epoxy materials in the proverbial dust. It is an autocatalytic polymer, which results in rapid development of high tensile strength and elongation. Foot traffic in minutes, not hours.                                                                     
A fast-reacting polyurea fully cures within a few hours, whereas most polyurethane or epoxy coatings require 48-72 hours before the coated areas can be used to their full potential.
 

Excellent Adhesion-

If a substrate is moist or has condensation on it, polyurea will perform much better than polyurethanes. The use of primers enhance adherence on wet substrates, where the primer penetrates the substrate prior to the polyurea application. Polyureas with a slower gel-time allow for applications on certain substrates without the need for a primer, as the slower set allows for deeper penetration into the surface of the prepared substrate. 

 

Superior Tensile Strength-

In waterproofing applications, a high tensile strength and a high elongation elastomer are required to meet the challenge. Modern advances in the chemistry mean polyureas are formulated to prevent punctures from angular objects and have high elongation to bridge cracks and tolerate concrete movement. The new polyureas will stretch with much less force. And, more importantly, polyureas will resist punctures and tears equally as vigorously as polyurethanes.


Zero VOC’s-

Many builders and architects can turn to polyurea as a reliable, cost effective alternative to FRP systems. The No VOC content of polyurea also makes it very attractive for confined workspaces. Unlike polyester fiberglass or epoxy, no fumes or styrene emission are associated with polyurea.
Until recently, builders have been faced with the choice of shutting down production or, in the case of larger jobsites, redirecting other trades to keep the company operating and on schedule. Modern structural polyurea systems can offer these companies an alternative production material to reduce costs and speed up the schedule. 

 

High Abrasion Resistance-

In a highly abrasive environment, polyureas perform extremely well. In applications once thought to require high-solids epoxies, polyureas are winning at every turn. In the roof and decking industry, polyureas are used instead because of their superior elongation and high impact resistance. Epoxies will crack and delaminate when exposed to constant pounding.
 

Long-Term Stability-
 

Many polyureas are based on aliphatic isocyanate prepolymers that are highly weather resistant and color stable. Products based on aromatic isocyanate prepolymers are not color stable and will tend to chalk or darken in color with extended exposure. For a long time, aromatic polyurea was the primary version of polyurea that was promoted to the industry. In the mid-1990s, aliphatic and aliphatic-modified polyureas were developed. These products revolutionized the coatings business. Now end-users could safely choose a polyurea for applications that would be constantly exposed to sunlight, without fear of discoloration and/or chalking.

 

Environmental Protection-

Exposed polyurea is widely used in applications such as concrete or geotextile coatings for secondary containment applications. Polyureas' fast cure times allow it to be rapidly applied to a prepared substrate with minimal downtime for the facility. This has made polyurea the choice of facility managers for walls around and floors under chemical storage of diluted acids, alkali, salt solution, organic solvents and oils. Polyurea provides a strong barrier to spills from reaching the environment. In this type of application, polyurea readily conforms to footings, pipes and protrusions to form a complete seal. An aliphatic polyurethane or epoxy topcoat can be added for aesthetics in environments that are too highly corrosive for a standard polyurea.

 

• Polyurea is 100% Seamless Waterproofing, No need for corner or transition reinforcement fabric (fleece or fiberglass) that is commonly used in Polyurethane & Epoxy systems.

• Compatible Substrates: Concrete, Metal, Wood, Plastic, Foam, Fabrics and many more.

• Cost effective alternative to Polyester Fiberglass or Epoxy Coatings.

• No obnoxious fumes. 

• 100% Solids, No Solvents, and Zero VOC’s.

• Excellent Corrosion Protection

• Increasingly replaces Epoxy, Acrylic and Alkyd coatings as an eco-friendly alternative.

• High humidity resistance increases applications in Roofing, Decking, Garage Floors and Bathroom Waterproofing applications.

• Spray application allows for increased efficiency, control of coating thickness and reduction of application times.

• High Tensile Strength 4400psi and Elongation 400% (varies by formulation).

• Seamless applications include: Door/Window Pans, Shower & Bath areas, Roof & Decks, Garage/Gym Floors and many more.

• Temperature & moisture insensitive.

 

Do you want to learn more? Give us a call and let’s discuss your next project.