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Frequently asked questions for

Floor Coatings

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions with their answers from Floor Coatings.

 

Which additive can be used as leveling additive for polyaspartic-based floor coating formulations to improve the surface appearance without any negative effect, like turbidity?

BYK-327 is a silicone containing surface additive, which provides a balance between excellent leveling properties and additional defoaming effect.

Which additive can be used to create a deep matting effect in a waterbased floor top coat formulation?

BYK offers wax additives which can be used directly in waterbased coating formulation. AQUAMAT 208 or CERAFLOUR 927 N offer matting effects and can be used directly in liquid formulations.

Which additive can be used to prevent leveling and wetting issues in a waterbased floor coating formulation?

While a waterbased formulation is drying local differences in the surface tension arise within the liquid film. This can cause a poor leveling or other surface defects. Additives like: BYK-349 or BYK-3560 help to improve these issues and to prevent negative surface appearance after the film is fully dried.

Which rheology additives can be used in a waterbased polyurethane formulation to create a good flow behaviour by using a roller application? Without creating any roller marks.

Optimum processability requires a perfectly adjusted rheology profile. A combination of RHEOBYK-H 3300 VF and RHEOBYK-L 1400 VF can provide this requirements without creating negative side effects.

Which additives can be used in a waterbased epoxy-based floor coating formulation to create an anti-settling effect?

Such anti-settling properties can be achieved by using specially developed additives such as OPTIGEL-WA or LAPONITE-S 482 build a network in the system, and create pseudoplasticity.Controlled flocculating wetting and dispersing additives such as the multi-functional ANTI-TERRA-250 work in a similar way. This additive brings the dispersed particles together into loose structures, which sometimes leads to even higher viscosities and good anti-settling properties.

Which additive helps to improve flooding and floating issues in waterbased floor coating applications?

DISPERBYK-187 or DISPERBYK-192 can be used for improving the color acceptance and compatibility in polar systems as post addition and to prevent flooding and floating issues.

Which Wetting- and Dispersing Additive can be used to stabilize fillers or pigments in an aqueous epoxy-based floor coating formulation? If the grinding is done in the amine-part.

Fillers or pigments that are not properly wetted, dispersed, and stabilized tend to:

  • create a high viscosity
  • exhibit poor compound flow behavior

ANTI-TERRA-250 or DISPERBYK-2081 are wetting and dispersing additives that provides the following benefits:

  • higher filler loading
  • improved flow behaviour
  • no negative interaction with the amine

Which defoamer additive can be used to avoid foam bubbles in a filled waterbased epoxy floor coating formulation, without negative influence on the self-leveling effect?

BYK-1630 is a mineral oil defoamer which can improve the defoaming properties of a filled waterbased epoxy self-leveling formulation tremendously. The defoamer can be added during the production process or as post addition.

Which defoamer additive can be used to destroy foam bubbles in a 1-pack waterbased polyurethane floor coating formulation?

BYK-1786 fully meet this requirement. Defoamers and air release additives can be based on (modified) polysiloxanes, silicon-free polymers or a combination of both. BYK-1786 is a defoamer based on an silicone emulsion, which helps to simplify the incorporation in especially sensitive waterbased formulations.

Which additive can be added to a waterbased polyurethane clear top coat to control the bubble-formation, when the formulation is applied by roller?

Air in these systems impacts the final coating properties in a tremendous way. PU flooring systems combine optical appearance with excellent mechanical properties. Air release additives, like BYK-1786 or BYK-028 can help to improve these properties by improving the deaeration of the system after application or even at production.

Which additive can be added to a polyurethane casting resin to control the bubble-formation, which are formed into a more uniform small size when water is added to the formulation?

Air in these systems impacts the final coating properties in a tremendous way. PU flooring systems combine optical appearance with excellent mechanical properties. These systems are therefore used for industrial and decorative applications. Low viscosities are required with respect to good application properties as well as good filler or pigment stabilization regarding handling. Air release additives, like BYK-088 or BYK-1795 can help to improve these properties by improving the deaeration of the system after application or even at production.

Which additive can be used as defoamer for polyaspartic-based pigmented floor coating formulations?

Polyaspartic-based formulations offer very unique properties in terms of very short drying times or final surface appearance. To prevent unwanted foam formation BYK-1790 can be used in pigmented polyaspartic-based formulations. Using BYK-1790 foam-free formulations can be achieved.

Which additives can be used to prevent craters, Bénard cells, pinholes or orange peel if an epoxy floor coating is applied in a certain layer?

One very significant parameter that has an impact on all these defects is the surface tension, or more specifically, the surface tension differences. The following additives could be used to prevent or minimize these differences in surface tension. BYK-306, BYK-310 or BYK-327.

Which additives can be used to improve and avoid surface defects like air entrapment, poor substrate wetting or crater formation in a polyurethane-based system?

Silicone-based as well as silicone-free polymeric additives are available. BYK-A 535 is especially recommended for air release if these systems are formulated with MDI or TDI prepolymers. BYK-A 535 fully meets all requirements of the European Union for “articles and materials intended to come in contact with foodstuffs” (incl. drinking water). To prevent further surface defect, like crater tendency, BYK-306 can help to improve flow/leveling and anti-cratering.

Which additives can build up a strong pseudoplastic flow behaviour in an epoxy floor coating formulation to create an anti-sagging effect for vertical applications?

Optimum processability coupled with high sag resistance requires a perfectly adjusted rheology profile and often mixed minerals or fumed silica is used for this. However, if the amine hardener is added to the epoxy resin with the solid thixotropes, the viscosity spontaneously drops. A combination of modified solid thixotropes, especially GARAMITE-7305, or hydrophilic fumed silica in the resin and RHEOBYK-R 607 in the hardener can prevent this. RHEOBYK-R 607 enhances the network of the solid thixotrope and leads to a better sag resistance.

Which additives can be used in a polyurethane-based floor coating formulation to increase the viscosity and to create an anti-settling effect?

Such flow properties can be achieved by using specially developed additives such as RHEOBYK-D 410 and RHEOBYK-R 605, which adsorb onto the particle surface, build a network in the system, and create thixotropy.Controlled flocculating wetting and dispersing additives such as the multi-functional ANTI-TERRA-204 work in a similar way. This additive brings the dispersed particles together into loose structures, which sometimes leads to even higher viscosities and good anti-settling properties.

Which Additive can be used to produce filled or pigmented epoxy systems with a homogenous distribution of solid particles?

DISPERBYK-2152 or DISPERBYK-111 are a Wetting- and Dispersing Additives, which can be added during the grinding process to improve the incorporation and stabilization of fillers/pigments. They provide the following benefits:

  • Viscosity reduction
  • Improved flow
  • Increased filler load
  • Reduced filler sedimentation
  • Color homogeneity

Which Wetting- and Dispersing Additive can be used to stabilize fillers like calcium carbonate, barium sulfate or others in a polyurethane-based floor coating formulation?

Filler particles that are not properly wetted, dispersed, and stabilized tend to:

  • create a high viscosity
  • cause the filled polyol to be improperly mixed with the isocyanate
  • exhibit poor compound flow behavior

DISPERBYK-2155 or BYK-9076 are wetting and dispersing additives that provides the following benefits:

  • higher filler loading
  • improved flow behaviour
  • filled polyol homogeneously mixed with isocyanate

Which defoamer additive can be used to avoid foam bubbles in a clear solvent-free epoxy floor coating formulation, without negative influence on the transparency?

BYK-1760 can be used for this specific requirement. Additionally a combination with a surface additive, which included deaeration properties as well, like BYK-327, can help to improve this issue.

Which defoamer additive can be used to destroy foam bubbles in a highly filled solvent-free epoxy floor coating formulation?

BYK-1796 fully meet this requirement. Defoamers and air release additives can be based on (modified) polysiloxanes, silicon-free polymers or a combination of both.