What makes epoxy floor coatings so popular in floor coating applications? It comes down to the resin composition of epoxies. The resins are cross-linked at the molecular level due to the unique chemical reaction between bisphenol A and epichlorohydrin, which is an organochlorine compound and an epoxide. The product of this reaction is known as a diepoxide, which reacts with any amine agent to result to the cross-linked epoxy.
Epoxy floor coatings systems have excellent adhesion properties because amine and amide hardeners combined with epoxy resins form an extra-strong linkage. The amine-/amide-type compounds are also excellent curing agents. In metal surfaces, epoxy floor coatings formulated from epoxy resins and sulfide hardening agents serve as primers.
Epoxy floor coatings technology branches off in two important directions — as water-borne formulations and high-solid films. The former is very effective in many types of surfaces, particularly concrete floors. The high-solid formulations require less thickness when applied on surfaces, and they are known to contain lower VOC amounts in their composition.
Solvent-borne epoxy systems, on the other hand, have been around longer, but possess disadvantages such as high-VOC levels, a toxic odor, slower curing time and longer post-cleanup activities.
