Why Epoxy Floors Resist Impacts

Browse through the epoxy flooring videos available on the Internet and you will eventually see toughness demonstrations for various flooring products. People pound epoxy floors with hammers and they drop heavy things on professionally installed concrete coatings, just to demonstrate that epoxy floors are exceptionally durable. While the videos tend to be big on the “Wow!” factor, they are usually short on explanations of just why epoxy flooring resists damage from impacts.

Polymerization is the Key

An epoxy coating is actually created by combining two different substances: an organic compound called an epoxide that is mixed with a curing agent. All organic compounds contain carbon molecules, and in all epoxides the common structure is two carbon atoms joined to one oxygen atom in a ring shape, with various other atoms and molecules attached to the carbons. Typical curing agents contain amines, molecules that include nitrogen, but there are other kinds of curing agents that also do a good job at combining with epoxides.

Now a key fact about carbon is that it can bond with many different atoms at once. Therefore, it can make lots of simultaneous connections with other molecules. Curing agents are designed to take advantage of the superior bonding ability of carbon. These curing agents break the existing chemical bonds in the epoxide and then form new, stronger bonds throughout the mixture. Each new bond reaches out in any direction, and connections are made between carbon molecules across 3-D space. These new organic compounds then link together to form very long and very strong chains of molecules. That’s the process of polymerization.

These long-chain structures are also what make polymers such strong substances. The new chemical bonds formed during polymerization create a network of connections that act like a giant net. This net doesn’t just stretch out flat like a trampoline, but everywhere and in all directions. The newly formed epoxy coating thus makes strong connections to whatever it touches, while simultaneously strengthening the internal links that hold it together as a substance. This gives epoxy coatings strong tensile strength — it sticks really well to itself and to other things. As the molecules in the curing agent continue to combine with the carbon molecules in the epoxide, the epoxy coating gets harder and the polymerization process is finalized. So the reason why a full cured epoxy floor resists impacts is because it has high tensile strength and acts like a net. Things hit the epoxy, but it tends to bounce back, while simultaneously protecting the concrete surface underneath.

Customizing the Polymer

The versatile nature of epoxides and the curing agents used to strengthen them is what allows California Custom Coatings to create floors for every circumstance. You can create floors that are waterproof, chemical resistant, impact resistant, UV resistant, scratch resistant, and more. Depending on the requirements, you can combine these qualities in one epoxy or by designing multi-layered coatings that use the strengths of multiple materials. No matter what your requirements, California Custom Coatings has a solution to fit and the experience to make it happen.

For more information about creating the epoxy flooring that you need for your home or business, contact California Custom Coating in Sacramento and Northern California.