Polyurea: material applications, application technology and the best manufacturers

The name "polyurea" is not familiar to everyone and is associated more with something agricultural than related to construction. Meanwhile, polyurea is a building material that is considered one of the best waterproofing agents. Now polyurea treatment is very popular not only in industrial construction, but also among private builders. Let's look at polyurea today, its areas of application, application technologies and the best manufacturers.

What is polyurea and its production

It is worth starting with the concept itself. Polyurea is a polymer component based on an amine polyester resin and an isocyanate. When these two components are mixed, a liquid material is obtained, which, after solidification, looks like plastic or hard rubber.

The peculiarity of this two-component composition is that its reaction rate is much higher than that of similar mixtures, such as polyurethane. And, importantly, the catalyst is not involved. If during the hardening of polyurethane some surface defects can form due to a long process, then in polyurea the process occurs so quickly that defects do not have time to form. The thing is that polyesters are used instead of polyesteramines.

PHOTO: beton-house.com

You can apply this coating manually, but the quality is worse. This method is rarely used and only on small surfaces. Sometimes both application methods are used to obtain strong and completely sealed membranes.

Polyurea has been spray applied in industry for half a century, so it is not a new material. Invented in the states by Texaco Chemical, it was originally considered a type of polyurethane and only in recent years has been moved into a separate category.

A mixture of polyurea is used to protect various surfaces from wear and the influence of abrasives, from other mechanical damage. This coating is extremely effective for waterproofing and protecting against corrosion of metals.

Polyurea is applied to various objects. With its help, roofs, floors in industrial workshops, building foundations are insulated. Polyurea can be found in the decoration of car parks, in the bowls of swimming pools, on the structures of bridges, tunnels and hydraulic structures.

PHOTO: pmppu.ru

Who produces polyurea: the most reliable companies

There are many companies that sell polyurea for structural processing. Since now this type of waterproofing has become very popular, the production and the number of manufacturers is growing, so it is quite possible to purchase low-quality goods. But there are domestic and foreign brands, time-tested and user reviews.

NPK Reagent

This enterprise has been known since 2005 and specializes in the production of elastomers, including polyureas. It was NPK Reagent who stood at the origins of the production of this material in Russia. Uniguard products are branded polyurea without impurities, which is the hallmark of the production. There is also the no less famous Urizol, which is actively used for waterproofing by builders of gas and oil pipelines.

Huntsman-NMG

This is a joint production of the domestic company NMG-POLICOM and the manufacturer of chemicals Huntsman. The branded products of this production, polyurea Extraplan, are deservedly in demand and popular with professional builders. Extraplan has several characteristic brands: 503 - for waterproofing roofs and pools, 502 - for intermediate waterproofing and 501 - for external treatment of surfaces exposed to ultraviolet.

PHOTO: pl-sfera.ru

Himex Ltd

Since 2007, this domestic manufacturer has been producing polycarbamides for construction work. Leading brands: XT-2004 - for manual application and XT-2002 - for automatic spraying.

SPI logoSPI

This is an American polyurea manufacturer that offers the Polyshield grade with various modifications: general purpose SS-100, HT-101 high abrasion resistance, PTU high chemical resistance and etc.

These are manufacturers who have proven the quality of their products with many years of experience. Each of them has its own patented formulation and a wide range of products.

Where and how polyurea is applied

The scope of polyurea is impressive. The properties of this polymer to completely isolate moisture are actively used for waterproofing foundations, plinths, roofs, basements and various bunkers. It is indispensable for the protection of any tanks, from swimming pools to sewage pits.

PHOTO: avatars.mds.yandex.net

The interior surfaces of various water, oil or even LPG tanks are also protected by a polyurea coating.

It is indispensable for the construction of treatment facilities, ponds and sedimentation tanks. This polymer is also used for road construction, waterproofing of parking lots. Polyurea is actively used to protect transport hulls from abrasive: cars and railway cars are treated with it.

And even that is not all: a bright spray composition is used to decorate and protect art objects and outdoor recreation facilities.

As you can see, the scope of this composition is almost limitless.

Classifications and varieties of polyurea

Polyurea is distinguished by the method of application to the treated areas. The most common type of application is automatic. This method requires special equipment in which the components are mixed and sprayed under pressure. If we consider the prevalence of this method, then it is about 95%. For automatic spraying, manufacturers offer the appropriate types of formulations.

PHOTO: tehnopena.ru

The second type of composition is designed for manual application with a brush or roller. Such types of polyureas differ from those applied by the automatic method in that they have a longer curing period. This is understandable: it is longer and more difficult to work with the composition manually, and it is not good if it hardens directly on the brush. Do-it-yourself polyurea is usually applied in places where it is required to especially carefully align the edge or it is simply impossible to get close with a sprayer. Sometimes, if the amount of work is relatively small, it is too expensive to call a master with equipment, so a brush and a roller are used to save money. Very often, in this way, the compositions are applied if repair work is necessary.

Another version of the classification of polyurea is presented according to physico-chemical parameters - the area of ​​\u200b\u200bits application directly depends on this.

With the help of various additives that complement the composition of polyurea, manufacturers achieve its special properties. For example, the high content of silanes makes the finished surface chemically resistant and allows good adhesion to various, even difficult in this regard, surfaces. There are additives that make the composition resistant to contact with petroleum products, contribute to the resistance to fire. When added to a mixture of plasticizers, polyurea becomes more elastic, which helps to fill small cracks and "cover" complex geometric surfaces. Sometimes water repellents are added to polyurea to increase its insulating properties.

PHOTO: ingri.ru

Polyurea is also divided by composition, there are two types - hybrid and pure. Hybrid systems are a cheap option, while pure polyurea is expensive due to the cost of the components. But if impurities are present in it, the price, accordingly, decreases. The most popular in this segment on the market are systems consisting of polyurea and polyurethane.

Such hybrid compounds have their own characteristics - in particular, the reaction of polyurethanes with air. If the mixture has to be applied at low temperature and high humidity, hybrids should be abandoned. And under milder conditions, hybrids are economically justified.

There are three types of composition:

• aromatic - the most common type of polyurea, which is actively used for waterproofing structures. This composition has a lot of advantages and only one drawback - instability to ultraviolet;
• aliphatic - unlike the previous one, it is indifferent to the effects of ultraviolet radiation. This feature makes it almost twice as expensive as analogues. The composition is used mainly for waterproofing roofs, terraces, balconies and other outdoor objects;
• a modified or hybrid composition is just the case when various additives are included in polyurea to improve properties.

Advantages of polyurea and its disadvantages

Why has polyurea become so popular and in demand among professional builders? The thing is that it confidently outperforms other traditional materials in its qualities, surpassing them in strength, hardening speed, and the absence of defects. This is what makes many people buy this composition.

The main advantages of polyurea:

PHOTO: u-polymer.ru

But this composition also has its drawbacks, like any building materials:

Polyurea spraying by automatic and manual application

With any method of working with this composition, it is important to properly prepare the base. To do this, you should not only carefully cover the surface, but also level it as much as possible.

PHOTO: tpromo2.com

For high-quality spraying, the container must be under pressure. The mixture is quite thick, so you need high-quality equipment. Professional polyurea spraying systems consist of large drums with a heating function. They pump the solution through heated hoses to the spray gun, and the mixing of the two components takes place directly in it.

How this happens is clearly shown in this video:

The polymerization rate of polyurea is seconds, so there is no way to make mistakes and hack in this process.

Manual application of polyurea differs significantly. After preparing the surface, you need to apply a primer, and then start working with a brush, but several layers will have to be applied to obtain a sealed and durable membrane.

Polyurea Handling Precautions

Polyurea is a synthetic material that must be handled with the utmost care. In the process of spraying, protect eyes and hands with goggles and gloves, and respiratory organs with a respirator. Polyurea emits caustic fumes when sprayed, which can damage mucous membranes.

If the composition accidentally gets into the eyes or on the skin, rinse them with plenty of clean water. With symptoms of dizziness, you should definitely consult a doctor. If polyurea enters the esophagus, call an ambulance immediately.

Have you used polyurea for waterproofing the structure? Share your experience in the comments!