How to apply epoxy resins on floors

Epoxy resin products come in a variety of colors and textures to create a decorative floor coating over a concrete subfloor. The surface is durable and easy to clean, which makes resin floor covering ideal for a garage and other high-traffic locations. Then how to apply epoxy resins on floors will make a introduction as below.

Sweep and mop the floor using a stiff-bristle broom and a rope mop with pH-neutral floor cleaner to remove any dirt present on the floor surface. Use a degreaser and a scrub brush to remove any oil-based staining on the floor as well. Dirt and oil both will interfere with the epoxy resin, causing adhesion problems as well as discoloration. Allow the floor 24 hours drying time before adding the resin.

Mix the resin as instructed by the manufacturer in a large bucket. When using an aggregate, first mix the two resin components together in the bucket with an electric drill containing a paddle attachment, then mix the additive into the epoxy until you have a mix that's spreadable by a steel trowel. You want just enough epoxy with the aggregate to bind the chosen addition aggregate material together.

Pour the mixture onto the floor beginning in the corner furthest from the room's entrance. Cover the floor in small areas at a time, about 5 square feet, to avoid having to make large batches of resin at a time that may cure in the bucket before you can apply it to the floor.

Spread the epoxy over the small floor segment. Use a paint roller for an epoxy mixture without aggregate added. Roll the epoxy in lines across the floor with the roller, overlapping each line until you cover the section. Use a steel trowel instead of a paint roller if working with an epoxy containing an aggregate in the mix. Spread the epoxy in a layer across the floor in a layer of about 1/4 inch thick, leveling it out as you go along with the flat of the trowel.

Apply the next section of flooring by spreading the covering from the still wet surface of the first section. Always spread from a wet area of epoxy to a dry area in order to avoid leaving lines showing the separation of the smaller sections. Work your way towards the opening in the room section by section to cover the entire floor with the epoxy.

Allow the epoxy to dry for the length of time that the manufacturer recommends before attempting to step onto the floor.

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Epoxy Chemistry

Epoxy resins are low molecular weight pre-polymers or higher molecular weight polymers which normally contain at least two epoxide groups. The epoxide group is also sometimes referred to as a glycidyl or oxirane group.

A wide range of epoxy resins are produced industrially. The raw materials for epoxy resin production are today largely petroleum derived, although some plant derived sources are now becoming commercially available (e.g. plant derived glycerol used to make epichlorohydrin).

Epoxy resins are polymeric or semi-polymeric materials, and as such rarely exist as pure substances, since variable chain length results from the polymerisation reaction used to produce them. High purity grades can be produced for certain applications, e.g. using a distillation purification process. One disadvantage of high purity liquid grades is their tendency to form crystalline solids due to their highly regular structure, which require melting to enable processing.

An important characteristic of epoxy resins is the epoxide content. This is commonly expressed as the epoxide number, which is the number of epoxide equivalents in 1 kg of resin (Eq./kg), or as the equivalent weight, which is the weight in grams of resin containing 1 mole equivalent of epoxide (g/mol). One measure may be simply converted to another:

Equivalent weight (g/mol) = 1000 / epoxide number (Eq./kg)

The equivalent weight or epoxide number is used to calculate the amount of co-reactant (hardener) required when curing epoxy resins. Epoxies are typically cured with stoichiometric or near-stoichiometric quantities of curative to achieve the best physical properties.

As with other classes of thermosetting polymer materials, blending different grades of epoxy resin, as well as use of additives, plasticizers or fillers is common to achieve the desired processing and/or final properties, or to reduce cost. Use of blending, additives, and fillers is often referred to as formulating.

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Silanes as adhesion promoters

Due to silane special structure and compose, has been successfully used to adhesion promoters, surface treatment agent for decades. Now silane have become the indispensable constituent of coatings and ink system .

When the coating contains a small amount of a silane coupling solvent, after which the coating of silane with the substrate migrate into the interface of the coating, the water reacts with the inorganic surface, the hydrolysis of a silanol group, and then form a hydrogen bond with the substrate surface hydroxyl groups or condensed -Si-M (M is an inorganic surface), while the silanol group of the silane molecules condensed with each other again, the membrane covering the mesh structure is formed on the substrate surface oligomerization. Even under flooding conditions, the silane coupling agent-modified substrate surface coatings of various inorganic good adhesions. Paint in the boundary layer between the base and the substrate, silane-based interaction with the paint, and varnish formation of silane-based mutual penetration of the network structure, and enhance the stability of their cohesion and water erosion, and stress in order by modulus the low modulus of the substrate to transfer the paint base, in order to significantly improve the adhesion to the substrate.

Product  Recommendation:

product	Resin Type	Typical concentrations	Function / Advantage
AC-D210	Acrylic, alkyd resin, epoxy resin,  polyester, polyurethane, vinyl	Primer: diluted with isopropyl alcohol into 10% solids; additives: 0.5-3.0%	Adhesion to a variety of coating systems for glass, aluminum and steel surfaces to enhance
AC-410	Acrylic, alkyd resin, epoxy resin, polyester, polyurethane, vinyl, unsaturated polyester resins	Primer: in acidic (PH-4.0)  water  was diluted to 0.1% -0.5%; additives: 0.5-3.0%	To enhance the adhesion of  the radical cross-linked resin for inorganic substrates
AC-310	Acrylic, alkyd resin, epoxy resin, nitrocellulose,  phenolic, polyester, polyurethane, vinyl	Primer:  with isopropanol diluted to 10% solids; additives: 0.5-3.0%	Adhesion to a variety of coating systems for glass, aluminum and steel surfaces to enhance
AC-510/AC-520/AC-521	Acrylic, alkyd resin, epoxy resin, polyester, polyurethane, vinyl		Used for acrylic paint and other  various kinds coatings, and surface  treatment of the pigment

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Silane on the application of coatings and inks

Due to silane special structure and compose, has been successfully used to adhesion promoters, surface treatment agent for decades. Now silane have become the indispensable constituent of coatings and ink system . Whether it is used as an additive or coating primer will endow excellent performance of coatings and printing ink.

Silane is a molecular structure which has a bifunctional group, represented by the formula is expressed as Y (CH2) nSiX3, wherein Y represents an alkyl group, a phenyl group and a vinyl group, an epoxy group, an amino group, a mercapto group and other organic functional groups, often with a coating  matrix resin organic functional groups chemically bonded; X represents a chloro group, a methoxy group, an ethoxy group, etc. These groups easily hydrolyzed to silanol groups with the inorganic materials (glass, silica, metal, clay, etc.)  the oxide on the surface or hydroxyl groups .The reaction to form a stable silicon-oxygen bond. Accordingly, by a silane coupling agent, can be set up between inorganic material and organic material interface "molecular bridge",the two properties completely different materials together  . Silanol functional groups of the organic functional group, and silane reactive groups can determine what role the silane in the coating system.

According to the different combination of materials, the role of the silane be summarized as follows:
Improve coating adhesion.
Improve durability of the coating.
To improve the weather resistance of the coating.
Improve the coating toughness.
Significantly reduce the viscosity of the dispersion of fillers and pigments to improve the dispersibility of the pigment

Then, what the role of silane in the primer? Covalent bond of silicon atoms have the organic matter and inorganic matter unique function ,silica internal born with stable structure, make it become an important part of high performance coating primer. In the primer using silane coupling agent can improve the sticky nature, to maintain its humidity, chemical resistance, UV resistance and enhanced; improved filler dispersion. Alkoxysilane is compatible with many organic resin. In fact, the silane is a strong polar solvent, polymerization of silane again affect the compatibility of the polymer and the final properties. In the organic matter and inorganic matter surfaces (for example, pigments, fillers, and glass, metal surfaces),  an inorganic of the alkoxy-functional groups covalently coupled to a large number of the organic group. Organic functional groups of silane just find the matching organic polymer will produce excellent effect.

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