EPOXY FLOORING VS PU FLOORING

Epoxy floors are harder, more durable and have a much higher compression strength than polyurethanes. This is why they are the preferred choice for heavy duty industries, warehouses and logistics centers with heavy forklift traffic. 

Polyurethane floors are usually softer and more elastic, which makes them more resistant to scratching as their elasticity tends to absorb some of the impact. The elasticity of PU floors also makes them a preferred choice in freezing chambers where the storage temperature can reach -30 degrees Celsius (-22 F). They are also a good choice for multideck car-parks since the elastic coating can act as a waterproofing and crack-bridging layer.

Epoxies and polyurethanes behave differently when exposed to certain chemicals. For example polyurethanes are the preferred choice in food industries that have exposure to lactic acids. This the reason why many food processing companies that work in milk, dairy, cheese production choose polyurethanes. 

Epoxies under such conditions may experience corrosion and yellowing. However when working in industries with sulfuric acids (like battery manufacturing etc) epoxy floors are much more resistant than polyurethanes. If you are working in a facility with heavy exposure to chemicals, check with the manufacturer to see which product is better suited.

Click here to view a table on the chemical resistance properties of epoxy  
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/chemical-resistance-epoxy-d_786.html

Epoxy resins are also sensitive to moisture, but the damage done by humidity will be far more limited. Therefore when working in environments where the presence of humidity could be an issue, epoxy is always the much better choice.

Polyurethane floors can be easily modified to extend or limit their pot life, re-coat time as well as the total curing time. This flexibility enables contractors to complete PU floors in a much shorter space of time .With PU you could effectively start a multicoat project on Friday and hand it over on Monday. Epoxy floors are much less flexible in this respect in the sense that they usually require 7 days to fully cure.

In general polyurethanes are harder to work with. Their limited pot life and sensitivity to humidity require very well trained and experienced staff. Personally I refuse to supply inexperienced teams with PU floor resins. Too many things can go wrong.

Finally if you are wondering which one of the two resins is cheaper, I do not really have an answer to that. There are quite a few varieties of products out there. Comparing epoxies to PUs is like comparing apples to oranges. Ultimately your choice of floor should not be based on which one of the two is cheaper, but which one of the two suits your needs.

Source : http://learncoatings.com/wordpress/what-are-the-differences-between-epoxy-and-polyurethane-floors/

PU FLOORING " EPC UF "

PU FLOORING " EPC UF "/ PU EPC UF is a solids flooring system with flow appplied topping based on hybrid polyurethane & concrete technologies that provide a combination of antimicrobial as agent as " Freshness and Breathing system ", it is solution for moisture problem. Antimicrobial agent is used in the manufacturing process and will inhibit the growth of bacteria, fungi, molds and mildew. PU flooring EPC UF also gives highest order of durability and excellent resistance to abrasion, chemical attack and other physical aggression plus thermal shock, unequalled by other resin based flooring.

COMPOSITION 
Solventless Polyurethane and Antimicrobial resin system with limited low VOC combined with cementitious/ graded quartz aggregates.

APPEARANCE & THICKNESS
PU EPC UF - seamless semigloss, smooth finish of uniform color, can be applied between 3 mm up to 6 mm. Stable to steam cleaning at 9 mm.

TYPICAL INSTALATIONS
The PU EPC UF system is ideally suited to areas subject to medium duty used subject forks lift :
Chemical Processing

• Food Processing/ Wet areas
• Brewing/ Dairy clean areas
• Engineering process areas
• Pharmaceutical plants

PU EPC UF has approval for use as flooring for HACCP facilities.

COVERAGE RATES
Eprime at 200 g/m2 ( depend on the surface )
PU EPC UF at mm     3.0     4.0     5.0
Coverage kg/m2          6.0    8.0     10

SUBRATES & SURFACE PREPARATION
Concrete polymer reinforced screeds, grano concrete, mild steel and water resistant plyboard.
To be assured of maximum adhesion and properties from resin products the correct surface preparation is essential.

For any further info please feel to contact us.

EPOXY VS PU FLOORING

Epoxy and polyurethane are great for : 
> Protecting your floor against stains, damage, chemicals, oils, and wear.  
> They are both light reflective, easy to clean, and long lasting.  

EPOXY FLOOR COATING BENEFITS
Epoxy is a thermosetting polymer which is available in three different formulations for : a garage floor coating and sealer : 
1. water based, 
2. solvent based, and 
3. 100% solids.  

These formulations allow for varying degrees of thickness from 3 mils to over 10 mils for a single coating for a garage floor.  They also allow for ease of application, special bonding characteristics, and VOC considerations.  Epoxy bonds extremely well to properly prepared concrete and can sometimes be used as a resurfacing agent for old or worn concrete that needs a new garage floor surface.

The best epoxy formulations are : 

• 100% solids and 
• provide for an extremely hard, thick, and impact resistant surface
• This self-leveling thickness contributes to filling in the small hairline cracks and imperfections of the floor as well as providing protection.  
• It also works well against hot tire pick up, scratching, and wear from abrasion.  

Though some epoxy formulas come with U.V. inhibitors, they will still eventually yellow or amber as the industry calls it when exposed to sunlight for any length of time.  This is something to consider when choosing a garage floor finish.

POLYURETHANE FLOOR COATING BENEFITS

Like epoxy, polyurethane is a thermosetting polymer as well and is considered a high performance coating.  It is commonly known as urethane for short, though that it is technically incorrect and there is actually a big difference between polyurethane and urethane.  If someone is advertising a urethane coating, it is actually polyurethane.

Polyurethane top coat

aliphatic polyurethane is the desired choice for garage floors.  Though they are approximately 60% to 70% solids depending on the manufacturer, a polyurethane coating is only about 2 to 3 mils in thickness and can’t be adjusted as with epoxy.

Aliphatic polyurethane/advantage of polyurethane over epoxy  :

• More flexibility than epoxy and it is this flexibility that aids in absorbing impacts better.  
• Much more abrasion resistant.  ( the wear resistance of polyurethane over epoxy is almost 3 to 1 )
• The resistance to chemicals is better than epoxy as well and this includes resistance to solvents such as methylene chloride which is the primary ingredient in paint stripper.
• U.V. stable ( it won’t yellow like epoxy does when exposed to small amounts of sunlight over a period of time ).  

 can tolerate larger temperature swings, and handles humidity much better.  It is also available in different finishes from satin to very glossy.

Less Advantages 

• The surface of polyurethane is not as hard as epoxy but it is much more scratch resistant,
• It does not bond well to concrete and its thin dry film thickness will not work well as a self-leveling coating to fill in small cracks and divots in the surface.  
• Another consideration is that most polyurethanes are solvent based, meaning they can have high VOC’s,and may require a respirator to apply.
• Polyurethane is also a better medium than epoxy to mix in anti-slip aggregate 

source : https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/epoxy-floor-coating-vs-polyurethane-michael-wang

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Specialty Epoxy Hardener

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