An epoxy coating is a polymer coating, mainly consisting of two components: epoxy resins and hardener. But quartz sand and other fillers can also be used to give the epoxy coating additional strength. Since the epoxy coating is made of mobile polymer-containing materials, it has excellent fluidity and mobility. Epoxy flooring in its structure is hard, slightly elastic. The epoxy flooring, even when wet, does not become slippery, which simplifies its cleaning and maintenance.
Scope of application of an epoxy coating
Epoxy floor coating can be used both indoors and outdoors, and in walkways:
- Due to its strength and aesthetic qualities, the epoxy is used in places with a lot of traffic: shopping centres, supermarkets, other retail premises.
- Due to its resistance to moisture, various reagents and chemicals, the epoxy floor has gained significant use in industrial premises associated with high humidity and chemicals, such as food factories, livestock farms, chemical and pharmaceutical industries.
- Resistance to shock and mechanical loads allows the use of epoxy floors in workshops, production and storage facilities, car services, parking lots, service stations.
Epoxy Coating Benefits:
The epoxy floor coating has several advantages:
- Epoxy flooring is highly abrasion-resistant.
- Epoxy coating is resistant to mechanical stress and impact strength.
- Epoxy coating is resistant to various reagents and chemicals.
- The epoxy floor is vapour-permeable, i.e. the base under it breathes, but at the same time, it has moisture resistance, which prevents the penetration of moisture into the epoxy material.
- A well-laid epoxy floor has aesthetic appeal, and with the addition of special chips and flocks, various design decisions can be achieved.
- Since the epoxy flooring is easy to clean, has an anti-static effect, this undoubtedly affects the aesthetics and ease of cleaning.
- Epoxy material is environmentally friendly, does not emit any harmful fumes and odour.
- Epoxy material is universal. It can be used both for the installation of bulk epoxy floors in an apartment, a country house and for the installation of industrial epoxy floors in workshops, manufactures, shopping complexes, etc.
Depending on the operational characteristics, the epoxy coating is divided into separate types and depends mainly on the thickness of the epoxy polymer coating:
- Ultra-thin epoxy coatings, up to 1 mm thick, are used where there is no need for mechanical stability. Where there is no increased humidity, and also for dust removal of concrete surfaces. The service life of such coatings is small, usually up to five years.
- Two-component bulk epoxy coatings with an average thickness of 2 to 6 mm are the most common. They guarantee high resistance to abrasion, mechanical stress, high temperatures, resistance to humid environments and chemicals.
- Multi-component epoxy polymer coatings with a thickness of up to 15 mm are used in industries, where chemical reagents are used, and increased impact loads on the floor.
Besides, quartz sand and other fillers are added to the epoxy mixture, which additionally guarantees the epoxy flooring high resistance to all types of impacts.