Floors/flooring polyester resin mortars

Polyurethane mortar flooring systems based on somewhat similar technology to this special polyester system have also been used in chemical plants and have given excellent service. The basic urethane polymer is more elastomeric than either epoxy or polyester resins and, as such, is reported to have excellent thermal properties up... 

Some of the earliest major applications of adhesives in civil engineering involved the use of resins for abrasion resistant and non-slip surfaces to heavy duty floors and roads. This was achieved by the use of synthetic anti-skid grits, such as calcined bauxite, set in a resin base. Both epoxy and polyester resins have been used, applied either by trowel or in slurry form by squeegee. Trowelled systems are usually heavily filled mortars with an aggregate resin ratio of the order of 6 1 and as such usually require a priming... 

A red shale brick or quarry tile floor is usually installed over a hot or cold applied mastic membrane. The mastic is applied to the concrete floor then the brick or tile are set with a resin cement. The resin cement can be a furan, a polyester or an epoxy depending on the anticipated exposure conditions. If high temperatures and constant exposure to aggressive chemicals are anticipated, the brick or tile will be bedded in the mortar as well as having mortar joints. 

The urea - formaldehyde (UF) and melamine-formaldehyde systems represent similar hazards. Free formaldehyde, which can be present in trace amounts, may be liberated to the air when resins are processed or even slowly afterwards, which can irritate the mucous membranes. Formaldehyde is a metabolite occurring normally in the human body and is converted to formic acid by enzymic oxidation. Formaldehyde in the cured resin is believed to be due to the unreacted free formaldehyde left (there are also claims that it may be due to demethylolation reaction and/or cleavage of methylene-ether bridges as well). A model specification to set out the health hazards is presented for polymer mortar surfacings (out of epoxy, polyester and PU thermosets), intended for their use as indoor floor tappings [39]. 

---