Trowellable Epoxy Floorings

In recent years, more heavily filled flowing epoxy resin mortar flooring systems laid at 3 to 5 mm thickness are increasingly being used instead of the more traditional trowelled epoxy resin mortar flooring systems described below. The laying costs of the flowing mortars are... 

Table 9.1 Abrasion values of trowelled epoxy resin flooring compositions, using BS 416...

Floors Commonly used floor finishes for biopharmaceutical clean rooms include sheet vinyl installed using heat-welded or chemically fused seams to provide a seamless surface. Troweled epoxy and epoxy paint (Figure 11) have also found wide use. Compatibility of the floor material with solvents, chemicals, and cleaning agents to be used in the room must be considered. A minimum 4-in. cove at the junction of floor and walls is recommended to facilitate cleaning. Some modular wall systems have a recess or offset that permits sheet vinyl to be installed in a manner that creates a seamless junction between floor and wall. When a stick-built approach is used, care should be taken to design cleanable intersections of walls and floors (Figure 12). 

Uses Epoxy for water dilution in combination with amine curing agents, forming fine particle size emulsions useful as modifiers for Portland cement, concrete, mortars, stuccos, grouts, as binders for trowel-applied floor toppings, as bond coats, base coats, membrane coatings, and sealers... 

Two-pack epoxy Section 12.3.3. These are widely used to give the maximum protection to concrete surfaces, floors and walls. They can be applied as relatively thin coatings by spray or as thick epoxy surfaces applied by trowel. In all cases, the application must be preceded by adequate surface preparation (see Section 12.6.1). To allow maximum penetration into the concrete the first coat must have a low viscosity. Coal tar epoxies are used where protection is the main requirement. 

Self-leveling floors are produeed from low-viscosity epoxy systems. Low-exotherm, unfilled systems are preferred. The entire floor should be cast in one operation, and thickness should preferably be at least 5 mm over the entire area. Because of their excellent chemical resistance to a wide range of chemicals, epoxies are often selected for flooring in chemical plants. Systems vary from trowelable to pourable or brushable and are usually filled. Choice of hardener and filler will depend on the specific chemicals encountered. Although tables of chemical resistance from suppliers will aid in selection of a suitable system, this system should always be tested using the chemicals that the floor is expected to withstand. 

Uses Diiuent for epoxy systems, for soiv.-free coatings and floorings Features General purpose low toxicity improves adhesion to most substrates incl. oily metal ( 5-10 phr) improves trowelability of epoxy mortars add to resin or curing agent Properties Gardner7 max. liq. sp.gr. 1.04 dens. 8.6 Ih/gal vise. 100cps... 

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 notched trowel is the main tool in construction for floor and wall adhesives and ceramic tile mortars, and works with both water-based and the solvent-based adhesives and mortars (Fig. 3). It is also used for a simple manual application of two components, epoxy or polyurethane adhesives, on flat surfaces, because these trowels are easy to clean. 

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