What is Polyurea?

Polyurea is truly a remarkable coatings, linings and joint sealant technology. It is being used successfully for so many different applications today. Polyurea coatings and linings are more commonly applied over concrete and steel for corrosion protection and abrasion resistance. They also have tremendous advantages over conventional materials for joint fill and caulk applications due to their fast set nature, high elongation and durability/abrasion characteristics. Polyurea can be molded and shaped by spraying it into molds. Similarly, polyurea is also used as hard coat protective shell over expanded polystyrene (EPS) for architectural molded fascia applications.

The markets and applications are endless and rapidly on the rise. Polyurea's future uses are limited only to one’s imagination!

The main issue everyone must understand is that Polyurea by name is not a specific coating system or a specification, it is a description of a polymer TECHNOLOGY. A great technology that boasts so many different formulations and physical property ranges. There are pure polyureas (defined by the PDA) and there are hybrid polyurea systems, each possessing their own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages.

Polyurea cannot solve your protective coating or joint fill needs by itself. It must be specified and installed in combination with proper surface preparation and primers, correct manufacturer’s material formulation, proper equipment, quality control inspection and trained applicators.

The content objective of this website is to bring real life polyurea information, success and failures into perspective. Users and specifiers must take into consideration that the proper combination of formulation, spray equipment, surface preparation, primers, training and application procedures is what leads to polyurea success.

Improper training, under-rated equipment and lack of material/substrate compatibilities and preparation is what leads to polyurea failure, and for that matter, failure of any protective coating and lining system.  Always follow the system manufacturer's written guidelines for the best results.

 

What Exactly is Polyurea?

The Polyurea Development Association (PDA), the polyurea industry's trade association has developed a "formal definition" to help suppliers, engineers, specifiers and contractors differentiate between real polyureas and other materials that "claim" to be polyureas.

The PDA has also sponsored a program to allow suppliers to use a "Pure Polyurea" logo on there materials, if they meet this criteria. The Pure Polyurea Product Certification logo is the property of the PDA. It can ONLY be used with the written permission of the PDA pending a self certification by a manufacturer stating that their products meet the PDA's definition of a pure polyurea. Specific usage guidelines also apply.

Polyurea Definition

A polyurea coating / elastomer is that derived from the reaction product of an isocyanate component and a resin blend component. The isocyanate can be aromatic or aliphatic in nature. It can be monomer, polymer, or any variant reaction of isocyanates, quasi-prepolymer or a prepolymer. The prepolymer, or quasi-prepolymer, can be made of an amine-terminated polymer resin, or a hydroxyl-terminated polymer resin.

The resin blend must be made up of amine-terminated polymer resins, and/or amine-terminated chain extenders. The amine-terminated polymer resins will not have any intentional hydroxyl moieties. Any hydroxyls are the result of incomplete conversion to the amine-terminated polymer resins. The resin blend may also contain additives, or non-primary components. These additives may contain hydroxyls, such as pre-dispersed pigments in a polyol carrier. Normally, the resin blend will not contain a catalyst(s).

Advantages

  • No VOC’s and Little to No Odor
  • Fast Reactivity and Cure Without Catalyst
  • Weather Tolerant: Cures at -25°F to >300°F even in High Humidity
  • Flexible: Bridges Cracks
  • Waterproof, Seamless and Resilient
  • Unlimited Mil Thickness in One Application 
  • Spray, Hand Mix and Caulk Grade Materials  
  • Excellent Bond Strengths to Properly Prepared Substrates  
  • Resistant to Various Solvents, Caustics and Mild Acids
  • Low Permeability, Excellent Sustainability

Applications

  • Pipe / Pipeline Coatings & Linings
  • Bridge Coating
  • Joint Fill / Caulk
  • Tank Coatings & Linings
  • Marine
  • Roof Coating
  • Waste Water Treatment Linings
  • Manhole & Sewer Linings
  • Truck Bed Liners
  • Theme Park & Decorative Design
  • Flooring and Parking Decks
  • Aquarium Lining
  • Landscape & Water Containment
  • Architectural Design
  • Automotive Fascia OEM Molded Parts
  • Water Parks & Playgrounds
  • Railcar Lining & Track Containment
  • Line Striping
  • Spray Molding
  • Fuel Storage & Containment