Enhances Quality and Improves Abrasion Resistance

A leading manufacturer of special wood coatings, ICA Group headquartered in Civitanova Marche, Italy, has tapped the potential of innovative solutions such as nanotechnology to boost the performance of its products. ICA’s UV coatings for prefinished parquet floors and other furnishings subject to wear and tear, along with its waterborne exterior coatings, deliver better results thanks to the company’s research at the forefront of nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology in Surface Coatings

ICA decided to invest heavily in nanotechnology to ensure its products remain state-of-the-art. Making the most of these investments, the company has developed UV coatings for parquet floors that take full advantage of the opportunities afforded by miniscule particles – as small as 20 nanometers (nm) – to boost performance and resistance to abrasion.

The use of nanotechnology is a real innovation in the development of surface coatings, particularly in relation to UV coatings for parquet floors and waterborne exterior coatings. The UV products that ICA has formulated on the basis of this cutting-edge technology, all of which are suitable for roller application, include: a transparent UV filler for grouting machines; a transparent UV filler for prefinished parquet floors; and a matt topcoat for parquet floors.

ICA’s UV coatings for parquet floors have been developed on the basis of the excellent results achieved through the use of nanotechnology to increase performance and resistance to wear. By adding particles of silica to the resin used in the formulation, it is possible to fully exploit the virtues of the new compounds created. Indeed, ICA's coating products with silica combine perfect transparency with high levels of resistance, which is particularly important for parquet floors. Moreover, these products have been fully tested in the field, since they have been available on the market for the last two years, during which time they have met with considerable success.

By leveraging three decades of experience in researching wood coatings, the company has created products that deliver maximum levels of resistance and durability, while also bringing out the natural beauty of the wood. The correct balancing of chemical and mechanical characteristics of the various coats that comprise the coating cycle is an essential element in any endeavor to optimize the final result. Aside from unrivaled performance, the range of UV coatings for parquet floors developed by ICA also makes it possible to achieve low levels of VOC emissions, thus protecting the health of users and reducing to a minimum the effects on the environment where the product is applied.

Nanotechnology Applications

Waterborne Exterior Coatings

Alongside UV coatings for parquet floors, ICA has also been applying solutions derived from the use of nanotechnology to waterborne exterior coatings as part of an ongoing project to develop innovative products that provide effective protection from ultraviolet rays thanks to the filtering power of UV nanofilters and to their increased capacity to distribute themselves uniformly inside the coating. The nanometric dimensions of these filters make it possible to create a coating film with more evenly distributed filtering power than is provided by traditional UV filters. Moreover, the insertion of nanocompounds into these products renders them entirely impermeable to water vapor and to water (a characteristic that is as important as resistance to ultra-violet rays for products intended for outdoor use) and to improve their resistance to blocking.

Transparent UV Filler

ICA’s transparent filler guarantees exceptional transparency and coverage, high levels of resistance to abrasion and excellent elasticity. A photoinitiated, ready-to-use and highly viscous product, it must be used with a grout roller, which facilitates its application and ensures the closure of the pores of various species of wood (maximum quantities of 20 – 30 g/m²). It is then dried with a high-power UV lamp (speed: 10 m/min).

Transparent UV Filler for Parquet Floors

The sealer is a ready-to-use transparent UV filler for application using a normal roller-spreader or reverse-roller (maximum quantities: 25 - 30 g/m² for roller-spreaders; 50 - 60 g/m² for reverse-rollers). The product, which comes in the form of a transparent gel that ensures excellent resistance to abrasion, must be dried using two to three high-power UV lamps (speed: 8 – 10 m/min).

Matt Topcoat

The matt topcoat for parquet floors provides excellent durability and resistance to scratches and abrasions. It is the ideal topcoat for prefinished parquet (including ribbed parquet). This photoinitiated, ready-to-use product can be applied with a normal or mini roller-spreader and should be dried using two to three high-power UV lamps (speed: 8 - 10 m/min).

R&D Commitment

ICA Group has built a reputation for extremely high-quality products, and this has been crucial in helping the company maintain a leading role in the highly competitive wood coatings market. Its capacity to design and manufacture high-quality, reliable coatings is the result of continuous commitment to carrying out studies, laboratory research, product tests and application technique tests, which have made it possible to deliver high performance through technological innovation, as demonstrated by the development of the state-of-the-art nanotechnology products presented here. The Civitanova Marche-based company has shown itself to be acutely sensitive to emerging trends in its target market and to be able to respond rapidly to the evolving needs of its clients.

One of ICA Group's main strategic assets is its culture of quality through innovation. Over the course of many years, the company has researched and initiated numerous trailblazing production processes aimed at creating cutting-edge products and reaching ever-higher standards of manufacturing quality. ICA Group's R&D activities achieve the perfect synergy between product/process innovation and rapid response times to customer requirements. ICA's product lines for professional users are sold around the world. Highly specialized distributors cover the various wood coating sectors, dealing with everything from furnishings to carpentry; shipyards to external structures; locks to garden furniture; and parquet floors to musical instruments.

ICA’s new UV coatings for parquet floors are distributed directly in North America. For more information, call 001/519.7680732, or e-mail icacoat@aol.com.