What is Polyurea?

Polyurea is a protective coating polymer derived from the combination of a specially formulated isocyanide and a resin which are blended together in a reactor at a specific temperature and then applied with a high pressure dual spray gun.  When the chemicals blend together a reaction occurs resulting in an incredibly durable protective coating. Polyurea usually comes in either a pure or a hybrid formulation. Hybrid polyureas have additional chemicals added into the formulation which sometimes reduce its mechanical properties but increase other properties like tensile strength, shore rating, or heat resistance. 

Pure polyurea is formulated as either aliphatic or aromatic.The aromatic polyurea is more tenacious and does not resists UV exposure, causing some discoloration and loss of shine, which is not recommended for applications “face side”. On the contrary, aliphatic polyurea is resistant to UV radiation and it is excellent as a finish coat, because of its raw materials high costs, it makes it  a polyurea of higher price range.

History of Polyurea

Plural component elastomers and polymers have been used for decades but it wasn’t until the 80’s when application technology advances catapulted the many uses and benefits of polyurea. The Pontiac fiero was the first automobile containing polyurea based quarter panels, doors, fenders, and bumpers.   In the mid 80’s Texaco began working with a company called Gusmer (now Graco) to develop innovative equipment specifically for spray application and the first commercial application of polyurea was sprayed in 1989.

Previous Applications

Below are some of the successful uses of polyurea

  • Tank linings or primary/secondary containment
  • Spill containment for oil tanks/ tank farm
  • Secondary containment on geotextile fabrics
  • Coat alternative fuel “down chute” to prevent sticking
  • Airport fueling valve pits

As an Encapsulator it can be used to encapsulate: 

  • Asbestos and lead
  • Macro encapsulation of hazardous debris and rubble
  • Gasket encapsulation
  • Radon and methane barrier
  • Rust encapsulation on barges and tanks

In the Marine industry it’s used for:

  • Fish holds, live well tanks or tanks at fish farms
  • Marine animal training tanks
  • Kayaks and canoes – coat fabric surfaces
  • Strut protection for hydrofoil watercraft
  • Coat/restore coating of pilings above and below water

As a protective liner it can be used in:

  • Floors and walls of dairy barns
  • Silos for containment of coal, cement, chemicals etc.
  • Increase flow to turbine pumps (penstock)
  • Interiors of smoke stacks to prevent salt cake buildup
  • Aquaculture and horticulture ponds
  • Irrigation ditches, troughs and flumes
  • Swimming pools liners
  • Water slides
  • Levee, dike, or dam repair and waterproofing
  • Lining for cement mixing drums on ready mix trucks and chutes
  • Preserving sandbags on embankments to prevent washouts

As a Coating for Abrasion Resistance/Corrosion Protection:

  • Bridge coatings
  • Vehicle undercoating
  • Floating dock coatings
  • Pipelines for corrosion control
  • Pipe coatings for cathodic disbandment protection
  • Coating for pipe insulation fittings
  • Coating EPS products
  • Street Sweepers
  • Abrasion resistance coating on dump trucks
  • Aircraft carrier decks, passageways and stairs
  • Coat metal salt and sand spreaders
  • Roller conveyor
  • Fire water tankers protection of rush and stress cracks
  • Plastic pellet railcars – to prevent rust containment

Roof Coatings:

  • Roof coatings for metal decks
  • Coating existing asbestos roof shingles
  • Roof coatings for monolithic domes

Joint Fill/Caulk:

  • Grouting for concrete floors
  • Concrete joint filler

As a floor or subfloor it can be used as:

  • Foam Insulation coat for floor cushioning
  • Horse barn and horse trailer floors
  • Concrete sanitation process stations
  • Corrosion protection on parking elevators
  • Floors and troughs of hydroponic hot houses
  • In lieu of grout for concrete block containment

Manholes:

  • Sealing manholes from water infiltration
  • Protect concrete sewer manholes from H2S

As a protective Sealant it can be used in:

  • Air walls in mining operations
  • Seal bottom of boathouse
  • Seal and lock screws, lap seams on metal building roofs
  • Seal air walls in mining applications
  • Seal rigid insulation in deep sea applications against hydro static pressure
  • Seal clean rooms
  • Seal controlled atmosphere and nitrogen purges agricultural building
  • Seal ship holds before sailing to protect cargo
  • Seal unit boxes at Hydro Cracker
  • Seal heat brick on steam vessels and pipes

Earthen Containment:

  • Soil stabilization
  • Sand and snow dumps

As a protective coating for wood coatings it can be used to protect:

  • Utility poles butts to prevent termite damage
  • boxes for drilling mud
  • Laminate adhesive for high-impact plywood
  • Line ground-wood pump tanks

As a protective coating for large structures:

  • Bridge deck waterproofing
  • Temporary building repair
  • Animal cages
  • Tractions surface for vertical tower training for firefighters
  • Highway and bridge overlays
  • Highway striping
  • Potting away light fixtures on air strips
  • Protect high voltage boom trucks from electrical conductivity
  • Sports courts and skateboard ramp surfaces

General Protection:

  • Coat underside of brush planes to prevent rock damage
  • Coating trailers for hauling brine-soaked hides
  • Placer mine trough abrasion protection
  • Protect icebreaker ship bows
  • Protect saltwater ballast tanks on ships
  • Protect steel ice deflectors for bridge columns
  • Protection of sewage digester and clarifiers

Aegis Defensive Coatings can custom create a protective coating for your project.

Call us directly at 504-390-8946 to get started.

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ABOUT US

Aegis Defensive Coatings has the best solutions for your protective needs and our products have been proven successful over the last 20 years.

All of your coating needs and specifications are met with a tough, flexible, high tensile strength and abrasion-resistant seamless membrane. If your application is new we have on staff chemists that will formulate the coating needed to your custom spec.