Epoxy (EP) resin coatings are characterized by their high chemical and mechanical resistance and are generally applied in thick layers. The cured EP coatings also exhibit extremely high adhesion to the substrate. However, EP resins based on bisphenol-A and F show limited UV resistance. Thus, they are usually recoated for outdoor applications with a UV-stable polyurethane (PU) topcoat. Wherever a topcoat can be avoided, the benefits of EP coatings compared with PU coatings are uncontested. They are excellently suited to coating machinery, plants, railway car construction, pipeline and tank construction, and for coating construction parts and concrete floors with high mechanical or chemical stress. For this reason, it is essential to develop customized surface additives for one-coat EP coatings. In addition to leveling additives that are used to improve film formation, additives to prevent dirt pick-up and to facilitate surface cleaning are becoming increasingly important. Particularly in applications where functional surfaces play a major role in preventing contamination such as in containers, tanks and conveyer systems, or for safety or aesthetic reasons such as in tunnels and corridors (Figure 1), easy-to-clean surfaces bring huge economic, environmental and time advantages.1, 2
FIGURE 1 » Possible applications of EP monolayer coatings.
(Source: www.fotolia.de)