What is epoxy flooring?
Epoxy is a thermosetting hard plastic polymer created from a combination of liquid polymer resins and a hardening agent. The two main ingredients in the creation of epoxy are the resin known as epoxide and the hardening agent known as polyamine (the term "epoxy" being a shortened amalgamation of the two names). The mixing of the two gives rise to a tremendous amount of heat, which results in the hardening action (this is the process known as thermosetting).
The polymer resins and the hardening agent (in its liquid form) are mixed together and poured over a base material (or even the pre-existing flooring) to create a thick coating of hardy plastic that is heat resistant, spill proof, and water repellent among other things.
Epoxies come in many varieties depending the environment that the end user might need ie; chemical exposure, ph of the product and a whole host of other factors. That is why selecting the right industrial floor coating contractor is so vital to achieve your goals.
As such, the term "epoxy floor" is used as a common term for two distinct categories of flooring. The first category contains flooring that is made entirely of epoxy. The second consists of flooring materials that have been coated with a thick protective coating of epoxy.
The unique advantages of epoxy flooring
There are several reasons for epoxy being such a popular choice of flooring for chemical processing facilities. First and foremost is of course its durability. Epoxy flooring creates a surface that is impervious to most chemical spills, hot effluent splashes, and the regular wear and tear that can be expected of any heavy-traffic zone, especially one that has to cope with heavy machinery and trolley traffic in addition to the movement of workers.
What's more, investing in epoxy flooring or epoxy floor coating can help increase worker safety substantially. This is because it is extremely easy, not to mention inexpensive, to enhance the regular epoxy mix with a mixture of sand, color chips, or other hard plastic - a process that greatly increases the amount of traction provided by the final product. Quartz sand is most common for creating non-slip epoxy floors for food processing units, though the places that require more decorative flooring often choose color chips that can create a marble-like effect. To conclude, the durability, resilience, and high traction provided by epoxy flooring makes it the perfect choice for the chemical processing industry.
