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13 Insider Secrets To The Purchase and Application of Polyurea Coatings
13 Insider Secrets To The Purchase and Application of Polyurea Coatings
SECRETS TO THE
PURCHASE AND
APPLICATION OF
POLYUREA
COATINGS
BY
John C. Becker IV, President
Creative Material Technologies, Ltd.
Please Note: This white paper has been written and is intended to expose
some of the hidden secrets that polyurethane and polyurea coatings
manufacturers, equipment manufacturers, and coating salespeople either do not
readily disclose or simply do not want you to know. We trust that reading this
paper will provide answers to questions that you already have and, moreover,
provide additional questions that you should be asking that, before reading this
paper, you did not know to ask.
This paper has been written and copyrighted by Creative Material Technologies,
Ltd. of Palmer, MA who is solely responsible for its content. Comments, inquiries, or
recommendations may be sent to Creative Material Technologies, Ltd., 21 Wilbraham
Street, Unit B11, Palmer, MA 01069.
4. Crosslink Density p. 6
Typical Pure Polyurea coatings react very quickly. Historically, in fact, they have
been applied using high heat and high pressure spray equipment with gel times typically
in the 3 to 7 second range. This spray equipment has a spray gun, called the “direct
impingement gun”, that brings the two components of the coating system together under
very high pressure to force them to react with each other. This equipment, frequently
referred to as “hot spray”, is prevalent not only in two component coating systems like
polyurea coatings and polyurethane coatings, but also in polyurethane spray foams.
However, the latest formulation techniques available today allow specific raw
materials to be blended together that allow a much greater open time. This longer open
time enables the polyurea coating, polyurethane coating, or even polyurethane spray
foams to be sprayed through a relatively inexpensive gun that contains a static mixer
spray nozzle rather than the high-cost impingement spray guns. This application
equipment is frequently referred to as “cold spray”.
The original definition of a Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) was any organic
compound with a vapor pressure (higher than 0.1 millimeter of mercury) that allows it to
enter the atmosphere quickly and easily. VOC’s typically lower the viscosity (or
thickness) of the coating chemicals and enable the chemicals to be more easily sprayed.
Most solvents meet the original definition of a VOC, and therefore, also enter the
atmosphere quickly and easily.
However, and this is the “secret” not commonly known: not all solvents are
VOC’s. Therefore, a shrewd coating supplier can incorporate either non-VOC solvents or
even exempt solvents (An exempt solvent is a solvent compound that by all
characteristics is a VOC according to the original definition, but has been exempted from
the law for some reason.) into their formulated products. They now, by definition, have a
non-VOC product. There are companies that will sell a product labeled as “ZERO VOC”
that contains non-VOC solvent, but never disclose that fact on the label.
By using a non-VOC solvent to disperse the resins, the formulators can use
much cheaper resin raw materials. On the other hand true 100% solids resin materials,
while being more expensive, have a low enough viscosity to be cold sprayed without the
use of any type of recognized solvent. In summary, BEWARE of the phrase ZERO
VOC’s or NO VOC’s; they do not automatically mean “SOLVENT-FREE” or “NO
SOLVENTS”.
You can further investigate whether a coating in fact has NO SOLVENTS vs. only
No VOC’s by looking for some of the solvents that have been defined as “exempt
solvents” in the United States. These include:
• Acetone
• Methyl Acetate
• Volatile methyl siloxanes
• Parachlorobenzotrifluoride (PCBTF)
• Methylene chloride
• A wide range of chlorofluorocarbons
You may find these listed either on a side panel of the packaging or in the MSDS
(Material Data Safety Sheet). An MSDS should always be made available to you upon
request of the product manufacturer. Some manufacturers provide MSDS's on their
website.
THE MAIN PRODUCT LABEL MAY NOT BE TELLING “THE REST OF THE STORY”
With solvent or water in the coating system, the formulator must allow for that solvent or
water to evaporate through the coating. Therefore, by design, the formulator must plan
for enough space between the polymer “threads” of the coating to allow the solvent or
water molecules to escape through the coating itself while it is drying or curing.
However, if there is enough space to allow the molecules to pass out, you should be
concerned that there is also enough space for those same molecules to come back in.
That coating may be unable to stop water or other contaminants from passing through
the coating. This is Crosslink Density – a term to know and that will be discussed in the
next section.
Further, when you apply a coating that has 50% solids and 50% water or solvent you are
paying for materials that will not help to protect your surface. This is because the
solvents and/or water “volatilize” or evaporate out through the coating surface leaving you
with only half of the coating thickness that you had brushed or sprayed on. Possessing
only half of the thickness in applications that involve any abrasion or wearing away of the
coating means that you have only half of the protection or half of the service life that
would have been possible with a coating that had no solvents or water.
In addition, a coating that contains any solvent and/or water has significant limitations in
their application thickness. The coating formulator knows that the solvent and/or water
must escape the coating “film” as the coating dries or cures or it will bubble, blister, and
peel. So if the applicator paints the coating on too thick and the solvent/water does not
get through the coating “film” before the top of the coating “sets up” the coating will fail.
Unfortunately, since coatings wear away through atmospheric abrasion, UV exposure,
and other effects at a certain rate per year having a thin coating means that the coating
will be likely to fail earlier than if the coating was thicker. This leads to people having to
do multiple coats of coating to try to get longer service life. On the other hand, coatings
that contain no solvents or water can typically be applied at virtually any coating
thickness. The benefit of having a 100% solids, no solvent or water coating is visually
depicted below:
The way the polymer threads are woven together and the density or packing of
those threads is called crosslink density. The higher the crosslink density - the better the
barrier-type properties of a coating system.
Comparing coatings, all crosslink densities are not the same in polyurea coating
systems. Although similar, the end results and, in essence, the level of protection offered,
can be very different from one formula to another.
Coatings that truly have no solvents or VOC’s of any kind (listed, exempt, or
other) by design have the capacity of exhibiting the highest crosslink density.
Polyurea coatings and Polyurea Hybrid coatings are generally both high
performing and weather tolerant in ambient application conditions of both high and low
temperature. Polyurea coating tends to be highly flexible, waterproof, and, in short, a
good, tough, all-around coating. However, substrate (surface) conditions, application
conditions, product usage, application options, chemical exposure considerations,
atmospheric exposure considerations, and other factors must be considered when
selecting both a coating system and the coating system supplier.
Many suppliers or marketers of polyurea-based systems take a “one size fits all”
approach. They offer a strong, waterproof, durable, (etc.) product you can use for your
roof, your fish ponds, your truck bed liner, your deck, your garage floor, or wherever.
While it is true that you could use it that way, you should not necessarily assume that a
specific polyurea coating system is either the best or even the safest product for every
particular application.
These companies are giving you a product that is both inexpensive and CHEAP! Avoid
the lie that you need 250 mils to get a good coating strength. Is this possibly a result of
the 40% filler they have in their system? A high performance coating that uses quality raw
materials will not need the same thickness to match or exceed the performance of a
cheap, filler-laden coating.
In the past, formulators trying to achieve longer open times have used additives
to simply slow down a formula originally designed for “hot spray” systems. These
attempts generally resulted in less than satisfactory coating performance because the
open times that many coating suppliers were able to achieve was still too fast for
optimum “cold spray” performance.
The best “cold spray” results come from formulas specifically designed from the
beginning to be used with a “cold-spray” system. The advanced raw materials that make
this possible, however, tend to be more expensive than the raw materials used for “hot
spray” formulations. Therefore, longer open time means higher raw material cost, and
therefore higher product cost.
Ask the probing questions. Do they manufacture, formulate, or just sell? If they
sell, Okay, but does the company they sell for support them with technical expertise that
will be your lifeline. A number of contractors have confided that everything was wonderful
with their polyurea coating supplier until there was a technical question or problem. At
that point they could not even get a return phone call! Why would this occur? Because
not only does the salesperson have no answers, they also do not have any way of getting
an answer. Make sure you will be able to get technical help when needed.
Because many producers are looking at their own bottom line rather than serving
their customer, the industry has unfortunately entered into a place where apples are not
apples. For example – a customer is told that a supplier has a polyurea hybrid and that a
hybrid will outperform polyurethane because of the polyurea component of the formula.
Most customers would take this at face value and not understand the importance
of taking this to the next level... if the polyurea component is the determining factor that
boosts the physical properties, how much, exactly, of the “hybrid” product is actually
polyurea coating and how much is polyurethane. One supplier could offer an 80%
polyurea coating/20% polyurethane mix to get one level of performance. Another supplier
could have a 50/50 ratio to have a “perfectly balanced” blend. And still another supplier
could use a 99% polyurethane/1% polyurea coating system. While each of them would
be correct in calling their product a “Polyurea Hybrid”, the customer is going to be
purchasing a coating with drastically different performance characteristics.
Know what you are buying! Every contractor will need to either find specifiers that
understand this key difference or be willing to train the specifiers that they work with.
UV-stable products, in theory, should have very little loss of gloss or color fade
over time even when exposed to sunlight. Non-UV-stable products, on the other hand,
will first lose gloss when exposed to sunlight, then fade and/or yellow, and then,
eventually, experience polymer breakdown and coating failure. By definition, aliphatic
polyurea coating systems are UV stable while aromatic polyurea coating systems are not
UV stable. Pure and simple, right? Not so fast.
As of the time of this article, the terms aliphatic and aromatic have not yet been
legally defined regarding product labeling. There are some companies in the industry
that are taking advantage of this fact to sell inferior systems to unwary customers. For
those that are equipped with knowledge the difference is readily apparent.
AROMATIC ALIPHATIC
Grey to Green tint in under 6 months of exposure* Still Grey after 6.5 years exposure*
* Equivalent exposure results through the use of QUV accelerated weathering equipment.
There are many safety issues surrounding polyurea coating handling and
application. Appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) should always be used
according to the polyurea coating system and the application equipment being
used. Especially in today’s litigious society and OSHA regulations, the safety of
applicators, observers, and unknowing passersby is critical.
That being said, it is this writer's opinion that the PPE cannot and should not be
the only way to stay safe. It must be brought to light that the real risk to the polyurea
coating spray applicator stems from the actual chemistry itself. One must understand that
these materials are reactive and, even though they can be touted as "Environmentally
Friendly" [once cured], they must be respected and handled with caution during
application. That being said, safer formulations should be and must be available to the
applicators that would choose to limit their risk exposure while handling and applying the
coating.
The second part of the safety issue is directly aimed at the isocyanate MDI.
While MDI has a variety of forms, it is well known that exposure to vapor or small particle
MDI can cause sensitization, health related problems, and death. To date there have
been at least four deaths attributable to MDI overexposure. The causes of these deaths
have been investigated and one result is a report that will be published shortly by the
federal government. Unfortunately, the investigation only looks at what happened with
these deaths and the personal protective equipment that should be used - not what can
be done to mitigate and reduce these risks from an equipment or application method
viewpoint.
Indeed, it is the opinion of the author that different application methods and/or
techniques along with different equipment options can greatly reduce risks arising from
spraying polyurea type coatings. Unfortunately, the large equipment manufacturers have
no incentive to bring attention to these factors since employing safer spraying parameters
would include not purchasing or using their present equipment.
Anyone that has experienced high pressure spraying (“hot spray”) is familiar with
the mist cloud that forms around the spray area and moves with any air movement. This
mist contains reacted, reacting, and unreacted particles of isocyanates, amines, polyols,
or other additives that were included into the original formulation. Therefore, it is
recommended that not only the body (skin surfaces) should be fully covered, but also that
a full face respirator be used so as to protect the eyes and facial skin from the coating
mist moving around the sides of protective eyewear or face shields and being deposited
onto the skin. A hooded suit or “head sock” may also be worn to protect the head(s) of
those within the spray area.
The heart of the matter that is not generally discussed in the trade papers is the
link between particle size and potential health risks. There is, in fact, a direct relationship
between smaller particle size and a higher likelihood that the particle could pass through
or around your safety equipment and/or be deposited on something that you will touch
later when you are not wearing gloves. Exposure to the chemicals can in fact result
before, during, or after the actual spraying. Therefore, it is essential to consider personal
protection during the entire process of arrival, taping or masking out, equipment setup,
substrate preparation, test spraying, actual job spraying, unmasking or untaping, clean
up, and loading your truck.
Further, since smaller particle sizes are suspended in the air more easily and are
more easily passed through or around safety equipment, it makes sense that larger
particle size application equipment should be considered the safer alternative. This
equipment is, namely, cold spray and warm spray low-pressure equipment.
Polyurea coating has been talked about as a "revolutionary chemistry" that can
be applied down to -35˚ F and withstand water exposure almost immediately. As good as
the technology is, however, the truth is that no coating chemistry can make up for an
improperly prepared surface. Ask anyone in the industry. They will tell you that most
failures are a direct result of poor surface preparation.
In fact, polyurea was touted in its infancy as the coating that would cure on any
substrate. The result was many early polyurea jobs failed because the coating cured all
right but the coating did not stick to the substrate. The end result was a catastrophic
adhesion failure for the job and a pubic relations problem for the polyurea industry at
large. The performance properties of a coating system does not eliminate the user from
making sure that the coating system has something structurally sound and clean to
adhere to. This is not ¨magic dust¨, it is still coating chemistry.
If the surface was contaminated with oil, for example, it must be cleaned off. The
substrate must not only have a surface or anchor profile to get good mechanical
(adhesion) bond, but also have a level of cleanliness that is appropriate to the application
and end use. If a salesperson tells you something along the lines of, "No problem, the
product is tough enough to make up for that." do not purchase from that salesperson.
Anchor Profile, also known as surface profile, is the "topography" of the surface to be
coated. If the anchor profile left by the surface preparation is too smooth it allows for
coating "slippage" or "creep" when the coating is exposed to lateral pressure. Therefore,
you want to be sure that there is an appropriate level of roughness for the coating to fill.
The level of anchor profile required will depend upon the coating system being used, the
choice of primers, and other considerations that the specifier should take into account.
The graphic visually demonstrates the anchor profile:
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Do your homework! Ask the questions and get the answers that make sense
ahead of time to avoid having to backpedal and investigate a job failure afterwards.
Polyurea coating technology is coating chemistry. Polyurea coating is not "magic or fairy
dust". Protect yourself with the facts. At the end of the day you are the one that your
Many polyurea coating system suppliers will be happy to sell you a product "off
the shelf" that they claim will meet your unique need. It is at this point that we say that
polyurea coatings are like insurance… it is something that should be purchased, not sold.
It should be purchased upon your unique situation and needs and not sold to you by a
salesperson that just wants to make their commission. How do you tell if their primary
agenda is to make a sale or to truly meet your needs? Ask what projects the supplier has
worked on recently where they were able (or willing) to either customize a formulation to
a specific end use or to actually develop a product specifically for that end use. Be
prepared to hear a lot of excuses or "dead air".
Look for a supplier that is willing to listen and spend time understanding your real
needs. When you find a company that can do this, you have found a "business partner"
that you can count on and should work with throughout your career. They may not be the
cheapest, but you know what they say about getting what you pay for. This supplier
clearly understands that the true bottom line is not only the profit made, but also just as
importantly the problems and risks avoided that the customer may not even realize
existed. This supplier will know and understand some of the needs or requirements of the
coating application, and therefore the needs that customer himself may not even realize
he has.
Look for a supplier that is willing to listen
and spend time understanding your real
needs.
WHO WE ARE:
Our background in raw materials and our access to over 40 years of coating
formulation expertise enables us to bring capacity to that commitment.
Our focus is primarily on our customers rather than company profits. It has been
said that if you help enough other people get what they want or need, you will end
up getting what you want or need. We firmly believe that is a great way to run a
business and we want to grow by creating satisfied, repeat customers that tell
others about us.
Contact us today to find out more about our solution for your building problem.
We look forward to serving you!