Table Top Epoxy Resin Uses

October 31, 2014

Today we will discuss all the uses of Epoxy.com Product #214 Table Top Resin.

So many of you are now scratching your head, trying to figure out how I can devote an entire article to what to use our epoxy table top resin for. Well,

Characteristics

Product #214 Water Clear Epoxy Casting – Tabletop Resin – Bar Top Resin is an all-purpose, low viscosity epoxy resin system for coating wood and concrete counter tops, tabletops, bar tops and similar applications. It has excellent clarity and color retention. Our clear casting resin and tabletop resin / bar top Epoxy has zero (0) VOC making it essentially odorless and can therefore be used in occupied areas. It de-bubbles and flattens a lot easier than similar materials.

Casting Resin

Our epoxy table top resin is frequently used as “casting resin”. It is poured into forms typically made out of silicone. The material is allowed to harden and then forms removed. This can be for very small parts or it can be used for very large parts.

Table Top Resin as Flooring

Product #214 Epoxy Table Top Resin can be used when a super flat floor is required. It is possible to get a floor as flat as water. This is important under certain types of machinery such as MRI machines and equipment used to product high precision parts for use in items like space satellites.

Other Uses

Product #214 Epoxy Table Top Resin can also be used to make tiles. After they cure they can be installed with conventional methods or with Product #225 Epoxy Tile Grout.

The epoxy table top resin that we sell has also been used for dance floors, stages, theme parks and homes to produce a floor to simulate water. Often times this is done with rocks and other objects in the epoxy to give the appearance of steam, a river, a lake, or the ocean. At the same time it allows a super flat finish that allows dancing, and all the things normally associated with a flat floor.

 

Advantages of Clear Table Top Resin #214

  • Low odor for use in occupied areas
  • Low viscosity – good wetting properties
  • Meets USDA standards for use in food handling applications
  • Glossy finish
  • Stain resistant
  • Zero (0) VOC – No VOC means it meets the toughest low VOC standards.

For More information email me a norm@epoxy.com, visit our website at: http://www.epoxy.com and join us on Facebook and Twitter. 

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Posted by Norm Lambert

Chemical Resistant Epoxy for Splash and Spill

October 9, 2014

Through the years countless tons of chemicals have found their way into the environment because of splash, spills, and leaks where there is inadequate or no secondary chemical containment. Pipes leak, vats spill, and tanks rupture. Without the proper secondary chemical containment and proper cleanup much of these chemicals damage the environment and damage plants and equipment.

I was first approached by a customer to put together a chemical resistant secondary containment system in the 1980s. That was before there was the strict Federal, State, and Local requirements of secondary containment that we have today. The customer was a subcontractor for a major microprocessor chip manufacturer.

The microchip manufacturer noticed that the chemicals in the microprocessor industry were getting into the environment. The microchip manufacture decided they were going to take steps to put an end to chemicals leaking into the environment (at least with the products they were manufacturing). The microchip manufacturer required the same strict standards of their subcontractor, our customer.

By this time in the 1980s epoxy was already used extensively for waterproofing showers, bathrooms, mechanical rooms and other wet areas. When waterproofing floors an epoxy base cove (return up the wall) is installed first. This base cove is installed up the wall far enough to hold the maximum material that could be leaked in a catastrophic spill. Then the floor is installed making the cove monolithic with the floor. This basically makes a “bath tub” out of the entire area you are waterproofing. Secondary containment is basically done the same only instead of holding in water you needed to hold in chemicals. The only additional requirement of chemical containment with epoxy is that the epoxy resists the chemicals that you are containing.

Time and new technology allows us to design even more chemically resistant containment systems because of epoxies that hold up to even tougher chemical exposure. Today Chemical Resistant Epoxy is a proven, highly effective affordable way to protect the environment, protect your facility, and protect your financial bottom line by improving secondary containment.

Chemical Resistant Epoxy Coatings can be effective flooring systems, wall coating and equipment coating. Chemical Resistant Epoxy must be a 100% solids, zero voc, hard durable coating. You will want a coating that is available in multiple colors, because the right Chemical Resistant Epoxy Coatings can last for decades. Properly installed you will be looking at this chemical resistant epoxy coating for a very long time.

Product #2 Chemical Resistant Epoxy

Product #2 Chemical Resistant Epoxy – www.epoxy.com/2.aspx was the first big jump in chemically resistant epoxy. Product #2 Chemical Resistant Epoxy has a much higher chemical resistance than standard 100% Solids Epoxy. This major increase in chemical resistance is offset by only a small increase in the cost of the #2 over standard 100% solids epoxy coatings.

Product #2 Epoxy Coating System is well suited for applications like garages, machine shops, sewer tank floors, battery rooms, cooling towers, grooming shops, dog kennels and all areas where an economical chemical resistant coating is required. Product #2 Epoxy Coating is also available in a wall grade for vertical and overhead surfaces.

Product #633 – Highly Chemically Resistant Epoxy

Product #633 Novolac Epoxy Coating – www.epoxy.com/633.aspx – was the next huge jump in chemically resistant Epoxy. Product #633 Novolac Epoxy Coating is a highly chemically resistant epoxy floor and wall coating and flooring system. Like Product #2 it is extremely durable.

Product #633 is typically used in areas where containment of aggressive chemical is imperative. For example Product #633 will hold up to continuous exposure of 98% Sulfuric acid for a period of at least 6 months without loss of structural integrity. Product #633 Novolac Epoxy coating is excellent for secondary containment for a large number of chemicals. Product #633 is also available in a wall grade version for easy application on walls.

Novolac Epoxy Coating #633 is ideally suited for many concentrated alkalis and acids, especially where a longer exposure is anticipated. For example epoxy Novolac #633 will hold up to all concentrations of sulfuric acid to concentration of up to 98%. Product #633 Novolac Coating has been used extensively for the floors and walls of chemical tank farms, chemical plant floors, chemical pump rooms, chemical storage rooms, lab tops, and other places requiring uncompromising secondary chemical containment.

Color Selection

All the systems above can go over many different types of substrates with the proper surface preparation. All of the products above are available in 17 colors and can be color matched for an additional cost. The systems above can be combined with various anti-skid materials or broadcast with silica broadcast aggregate to produce a thicker floor.

Do Your Due Diligence.

Be sure that the epoxy that you are using as secondary containment epoxy that holds up to the chemicals you are trying to contain for the amount of time it will take you to clean up these chemicals leaks and spills.

When in doubt ask for a hard sample of the material to be used. Weigh the sample before testing. Soak it in the chemical you want it to hold up to for the amount of time you will need to hold up to a spill. Take the sample out of the solution. Rinse it in distilled water dry and reweigh. The material should not gain or lose any weight. Check the material tactilely and visually to insure there is no softening, swelling, etching or other visible or tactile sign of attach.

 

Conclusion

Chemical Resistant Epoxy is a dependable, cost effective, and easy to install method of protecting the environment, and your structure. Chemical Resistant Epoxy is an effective way to contain chemical spills and contain the costs associated with repeated small spills and major catastrophic spills.

 

Additional Resources

Product #2 Chemical Resistant Epoxy Coating
Product #633 Highly Chemically Resistant Epoxy Coating
Chemical Resistance Epoxy Coating Chart – list of tested chemicals that they resist.
Chemical Resistant Epoxy Color Chart

 

For more information please contact:

Norm Lambert
President & Technical Director
norm@epoxy.com
352-533-2167
www.epoxy.com

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Posted by Norm Lambert

Poured Concrete Basement Waterproofing with Epoxy

September 18, 2014

This is the second half of a 2 part of a series on basement waterproofing with epoxy. In Part 1, we discussed waterproofing block wall foundations with epoxy. In Part 2A we discuss how to identify leaks that need waterproofing in basement walls, and floors that are made out of poured concrete. In this part (2B) will deal with epoxy injection repairs of cracks in poured concrete, that cause the leaks.

Earlier we discussed how many homes and businesses experience leaky basements year after year. The worse time is in the spring and after heavy rain. We discussed prudent things that you can do to improve drainage against your foundation. Epoxy Injection is designed to waterproof and give you the concrete’s structural integrity back.

Why Epoxy Inject the Cracks?

We discussed in our last article that cracking is a sign of failure caused by stresses, inadequate design, improper curing, etc. One of the dangers of a structural crack is the effect that it has on the reinforcing bar. The reinforcing represents one of the main structural values of the concrete. Cracks left unprepared allow water to enter your basement and attack the rebar.

Epoxy injection resin has two purposes:

  1. It effectively seals the crack to prevent the damaging moisture entry. Second, it monolithically welds the structure together.
  2. The injection also stops the infiltration of water into your basement.

Epoxy Injection Port Setting

Clean the concrete on both sides of the crack being careful not to force concrete dust into the crack. Concrete dust can be detrimental to the injection processes in several ways. Vacuum the area completely with a shop vac.

You need to determine the spacing of ports to be set. The spacing is a factor of the tightness of the crack and the depth of the concrete substrate. Spacing is normally between four (4) and eight (8) inches.

Port Setting and Sealing

Align ports directly over cracks. That allows injection resin to flow into the crack. Seal surface cracks and the ports in place. Sealing the exterior of cracks is done with Epoxy Gel #2006.

Selecting the Right Epoxy Injection Resin

Epoxy injection resin should typically be low viscosity injection resin- Epoxy Injection Resin #301. It must be low viscosity resin so it will flow in the smallest hair line cracks. Resin can travel several feet from the point of injection. It may take some time before reaching the next port or penetrating through pin holes in the surface. Epoxy injection effectively fills cracks including small voids and hairline cracks

Pumping Epoxy Injection Resin

The most economical way to deliver the epoxy injection is with the 450 ml binary injection system, a manual gun, or the pneumatically driven one. This uses a binary caulking gun with static mix tubes to inject the resin, insuring continuously mixed fresh material.

Limit pressure, low pressures allow gradual resin flow into the crack for deeper penetration. Start injection at the lowest point, and continues upward on the crack area. While injecting the lowest port, resin will flow to and out of the next higher port.

When pure resin is flowing out the next port cap, plug the current injection port and move to the next port. Then injection continues in the port showing resin flow. This procedure continues until all ports are full.

CONCLUSION

Epoxy injection is very effective at repairing concrete cracks and cutting of water infiltration. The right resin and equipment is critical. Epoxy injection makes a crack watertight while restoring the original structural integrity intended for the concrete. You can get all of the material you need to do this by contacting us:

321-206-1833 Customer Service – Ordering and Order Status
Katey Fontaine, VP – Customer Service Director
sales@epoxy.com

Technical Support
352-533-2167
 Norm Lambert, President
Technical Support Director
info@epoxy.com

Additional Resources

http://www.epoxy.com/injection.aspx

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Posted by Norm Lambert

Basement Waterproofing with Epoxy Part 2A

September 15, 2014

Poured Concrete Foundation Waterproofing

This is number 2A of a 2 part series on basement repairs. In Part 1, we discussed waterproofing block wall foundations. In Part 2A shows how to identify leaks that need waterproofing in basement walls, and floors that are made out of poured concrete. Part 2B will deal with the actual repairs to poured concrete leaks.

In our last piece we discussed how many homes and businesses experience leaky basements year after year. The worse time is in the spring after winter accumulation of snow. There are a number of prudent things that you can do to improve drainage against your foundation like roof gutters, grading and improvement of drainage. The recommendations here do not replace that conventional wisdom. It is designed to augment and improve upon these conventional methods.

Identifying the Source of the Basement Water Leak

The nice thing about poured concrete is that it holds water back very well. The leak typically happens at a cold joint or in a crack or hole in the concrete.

Concrete Cold Joints

Fresh (plastic) concrete doesn’t bond to hardened concrete. The exception is when a special epoxy bonding agent like Epoxy.com Product #2007 – is used (this bonding agent will be discussed in a future article). When concrete has hardened or has started to harden and you pour more concrete against it (without the right bonding agent) you get what is called a cold joint. These cold joints are a common source of water leaks.

Virtually all basements are built with a giant cold joint – the cold joint between the floor and the wall. Typically there is some sort of water-stops material installed in these joints intended to stop leaking at this cold joint. These water-stops can fail. So the wall to floor joint in a concrete basement is a frequent source of water leaks.

You can also get cold joints in the middle of concrete walls and floors due to multiple pours. You can get cold joints if concrete is setting to fast and fresh concrete is poured against semi cured concrete. Sometimes saw cuts in the floor can be a source of leaks

Form Ties

Then there are the ties that go through the concrete to hold the forms together on either side during the pour. If these form ties are not installed perfectly or if the concrete is not totally vibrated around them, these ties can act as a conduit to let the water in.

 

Wall and Floor Cracks

When concrete cures it shrinks that is called “plastic shrinkage”. That plastic shrinkage can and usually does result in the concrete cracking. These cracks are one of the easiest ways for water to get into your basement. If the water makes it to the fill side of the tank (under the floor or against the wall) it will typically leak out into your basement. You should look carefully for these cracks when looking for potential leaks into your basement. If you are able to investigate into the water infiltration into your basement when it is leaking it will be easy to see. If trying to find the source of leaks when the basement is dry you have to look for water marks on either side of the cracks and beneath the areas that might be leaking.

Repairing the Basement Leaks with Epoxy

In the next installment on this topic, I will deal with how you waterproof the cracks while structurally repairing them with epoxy and similar materials.

For more information please contact me:

Norm Lambert
norm@epoxy.com
352-533-2167
www.epoxy.com

 

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Posted by Norm Lambert

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