The term “epoxy flooring” is very difficult to define, but in general it is where multiple epoxy layers are placed on a floor surface regardless of the kind of epoxy resins applied, provided that the total thickness of all layers applied is at least 2 mm. Any epoxy floor consisting of less than three layers and less than 2 mm thick is called an “epoxy floor coating” and not epoxy flooring.

Epoxy Flooring – What Is Epoxy?

Epoxies are polymer materials that begin as liquids and are converted to the solid polymers by a chemical reaction. An epoxy based polymer is mechanically strong, chemically resistant to degradation of the chemical elements in the solid form and highly adhesive during conversion from liquid to solid.

Physically epoxy systems contain two components: resins and a hardener. The resin component is usually light, sometimes almost clear color, that emits almost no odor. Hardeners on the other hand are usually dark and have an ammonia like smell. When these two components are brought together and mixed intimately in a prescribed way, they will react chemically and link together irreversibly, and after the chemical reaction has been completed, they will form a rigid plastic material.

Epoxy Flooring – Industrial Epoxy Floor

In many cases it is extremely difficult to distinguish between an “epoxy floor” and an “industrial epoxy floor.” The type of industrial floor will depend, in most cases, on standards prescribed by different countries concerning the concrete base qualities, as well as on the characteristics of the floor to be installed, for the needs of a specific industry.

A simple definition of an industrial epoxy floor is one that has three layers of epoxy resins that are at least 2 mm thick, and at least two layers are 100% solid epoxy.

Epoxy Flooring – Resins

Epoxy resins are often modified using other products to improve some measured property of the final product such as toughness.

Epoxy flooring – Hardeners

Epoxy hardeners are not catalysts and they react with the epoxy resins, greatly contributing to the ultimate properties of the cured epoxy resin system. Epoxy hardeners provide: gel time, mixed viscosity, and de-mold time of the epoxy resin system. Physical properties of the epoxy resin system such as tensility, compression, and flexural properties are also influenced by epoxy hardeners.

The performance of epoxy hardeners in the epoxy resins system depend on the chemical characteristics of the epoxy resins and the physical characteristics while applying the epoxy resins system. The chemical characteristics of the epoxy resins that influence epoxy hardeners are: viscosity, amount and kind of diluents, and filers in epoxy resins. The physical characteristics of the epoxy resins system influencing the behavior of epoxy hardeners in the epoxy resins system are temperature of the work area, temperature of the resins system and moisture and dampness.