Liquid Rubber™ Liquid EPDM Coating

EPDM Rubber Coatings:

Liquid EPDM coatings require a lower molecular weight polymer than is used in the molded products mentioned above. But the other and even more important requirement is the ability to cure at ambient temperature. Pro Guard Coatings began development work on liquid EPDM coatings in 1990 and launched the first commercially available EPDM coatings the following year, Numerous incremental improvements were made over the next several years but the most significant improvements resulted after the discovery of several new catalysts. The products now cure faster, produce better film properties, meet California VOC restrictions, don not need special hazard labeling, have excellent storage stability, and are environmentally friendly.

How does EPDM rubber compare to other coating types?

Water resistance………… EPDM is better than epoxies, urethanes, acrylics, polyesters and alkyds at equal film thickness and is not affected by continuous immersion.

UV resistance…………… equal or better than acrylics, polyesters and urethanes; much better than alkyds and epoxies.

Temperature tolerance…………… EPDM is better than all other coatings polymers except Silicones. EPDM can withstand live steam as well as cryogenic temperatures.

Flexibility………………… Better than epoxies, alkyds and most acrylics, equals to urethanes and polyesters. EPDM coating can be applied to flexible as well as rigid substrates.

Chemical resistance…………. EPDM has very good resistance to strong alkalis, concentrated slat solutions, many acids, alcohols and polar solvents such as ketoses. EPDM has poor resistance to oils, fats, waxes and hydrocarbon solvents.

Surface tolerance………. EPDM coatings will not bond t a surface that is damp with moisture but will bond to oil or wax contaminated surface. EPDM coating and also be applied directly to metal surfaces which have tightly adhering corrosion without a primer.

Where can EPDM Coating be used to their best advantage:

The unique combination of properties, which EPDM coating posses can be best utilized when they are applied to the exterior surfaces of stationary structures. Examples are:

ROOFS…………. metal, rubber or thermoplastic membrane, fiberglass, urethane foam, cement tile and plywood.

METAL SIDING……….. can be applied with little or no surface preparation as a one-coat finish on steel buildings.

CONCRETE TANKS…..... The excellent water proofing properties of EPDM will reduce or prevent spalling of the concrete in cold climates.

CORROSIVE and HUMID ENVIRONMENTS......... Exposed structural steel on the interior of industrial buildings with humid or corrosive environments can be coated with minimal surface preparation. Plating operations, smelters, concrete casting operations, dye works, and paper mills are just a few examples. High-density poultry and hog production operations are another good use to protect steel from the corrosive environment produced by the manure.

IMPOUNDMENTS…..... liquid EPDM coating is a good choice for exterior spill containment structures because of their excellent weathering ad broad chemical resistance properties.

PONDS & FOUNTAINS........ Concrete fish ponds, fountains and reflecting pool are another good applications for EPDM. These are demanding applications where the unique properties of EPDM have a distinct advantage over other products.

Unsuitable application for EPDM Coatings:

The relatively slow and non aggressive adhesion of EPDM coatings makes them poor candidates as factory applied finishes or as coatings for products which come in contact with each other during shipment or use. They are also not recommended for environments where they could be exposed to oils, fats, waxes or liquids with similar characteristics.

Environmental impact:

EPDM rubber coatings are high solids products which meet the California VOC (volatile organic compounds) restrictions. They are not water soluble in their uncured state and don not contains compounds, which could find their way into the water supply. The fact that these coatings do not require primers further reduces VOC emissions and the potentials use of water polluting products. The durability of these coating also lengthens the recoat period so that their environmental impact is lessened even more.