Getting Started In The Polyurea Coatings Business

The term “polyurea“ is frequently misused in the industry. Polyurea, similar to Polyurethane and Epoxy, represents a technology, not a coating or lining system. Polyurea suppliers is technically a misnomer as well, since they technically are selling the components to produce polyurea and it’s during the mixing process that it becomes polyurea. So technically, it’s you the applicator that is creating the polyurea polymer.

There is a wide variety of polyurea systems, tailored for specific application types.  Since there is no universal solution that fits all scenarios perfectly. These systems can vary in terms of speed of setting; whether they are aromatic or aliphatic based (in accordance with UV color stability requirements); whether they are elastomeric or non elastomeric; suitable, for immersion use or ambient exposure applications; and can be applied through plural spray method, set joint sealants or hand mixed roller or brush applications. Notably polyaspartic or aspartic ester systems fall under the category of polyurea—serving as a film aliphatic variant. Hence selecting the right system for an application is crucial.
For instance bedliner systems work well for their intended purpose, however they are typically not suitable, for high end applications like tank lining chemical immersion.