What is polyurea? What is aspartic polyurea? Canlon will explain it to you quickly and thoroughly!

We often hear about polyurea waterproof coatings. Everyone says that it is a high-end waterproof material, which is highly praised for its extremely fast curing speed and long life. Among them, "aspartic polyurea" is the most common.

What are the components of polyurea? What is the relationship between aspartic polyurea and its similar products? Today, we'll quickly explain it all through a simple science article!

Polyurea is a polymer compound composed of urea groups (-NH-CO-NH-) and another functional unit (such as isocyanate). It is a polymer material with high strength, high hardness, high elasticity, high wear resistance, and high chemical resistance. It also possesses excellent chemical properties, such as resistance to acids, alkalis, and solvents. Therefore, it is widely used in various industrial fields, such as coatings, sealants, epoxy flooring, fiberglass, and building waterproofing.

"Orthodox" or "hybrid"?

Generally, pure polyurea, as we refer to it, is produced by reacting isocyanate components with amino polyethers and amine chain extenders. As the most "orthodox" polyurea, it also boasts the most superior performance. However, due to the need for cost reduction or adjustments to workability, many manufacturers in the market partially or completely replace the amine chain extender with hydroxyl polyethers (similar to polyols in ordinary polyurethanes), which are commonly known as "semi-polyurea" and "hybrid polyurea." Although they are sold on the market under the name "polyurea," they are not high-end products.

In contrast, aspartic polyurea is a high-end branch of the polyurea family. It optimizes and balances the performance of traditional polyurea by introducing a special component—"aspartic ester resin." When aspartic ester and isocyanate are mixed and polymerized, polyurea resin is formed. This chemical reaction, through exothermic reactions, causes the material to rapidly form a dense network structure, acting like a protective shield firmly attached to the substrate. This combines the strength of polyurea with the elasticity of polyurethane, allowing for adjustable, thick-coat application without dripping, making it highly suitable for roofing.

It can be said that the advent of aspartic polyurea has successfully solved many of the pain points of semi-polyurea, while also making construction more user-friendly and convenient while inheriting the advantages of pure polyurea.

1. Reactivity : Traditional polyurea reacts too quickly, almost like "instant curing," resulting in a very short curing window that requires specialized equipment. Aspartic polyurea, by using a slower-reacting aspartic ester resin, extends the curing time, making application more flexible and convenient.

2. Construction-friendly : Aspartic polyurea breaks the limitation that polyurea must be sprayed, and can achieve thick film brushing and roller coating without sagging, which greatly expands the application range.

3. Weather resistance : Aspartic acid ester resin itself has excellent UV resistance, so the gloss and color retention of aspartic polyurea is far superior to that of ordinary polyurea and semi-polyurea, making it very suitable for outdoor use.

4. Performance designability : By changing the structure and formulation of aspartic acid ester resin, its flexibility, hardness, drying time, etc. can be precisely adjusted, just like "mixing a cocktail", to meet the needs of different scenarios.

Of course, traditional semi-polyurea still has its specific application scenarios—

Recommended use cases for semi-polyurea

Large industrial flooring : for factories, workshops, warehouses and other places that require ultra-high wear resistance and impact resistance.

Water conservancy projects : waterproofing and seepage prevention for reservoirs, canals, and dams.

Corrosion protection for large containers : corrosion protection of the inner walls of sewage treatment ponds and chemical storage tanks.

Truck abrasion lining : Abrasion-resistant protection for the truck bed.

In contrast, aspartic polyurea has more targeted and high-end applications.

Recommended use cases for aspartic polyurea

High-performance industrial flooring : Flooring for electronics, pharmaceutical, and food factories where cleanliness, aesthetics, and chemical resistance are extremely important, as well as commercial flooring that requires high decorative appeal.

Long-term outdoor protection : for applications requiring extremely high weather resistance, UV resistance, and yellowing resistance, such as concrete bridges, stadium stands, airport runways, and photovoltaic power station foundations.

High-end integrated waterproofing and decoration : waterproofing of roofs (especially roofs that require exposure and aesthetics), balconies, and terraces, combining waterproofing and decorative topcoat into one.

Vehicle coatings : High-performance coatings for the exteriors of automobiles, trains, and yachts, requiring excellent weather resistance, gloss, and mechanical properties.

In the field of corrosion protection using manual methods : complex steel structures, pipes, pipe corridors, etc., areas where spraying is not possible can be completed by brushing.

In conclusion, if polyurea is like a natural-born "weightlifter" —powerful and explosive, designed for large-scale, heavy-duty, and fast-completion projects—then aspartic polyurea is like a meticulously trained "decathlete ." It not only meets the power and speed requirements of javelin and shot put but, through technological improvements, also possesses the endurance of long-distance running (weather resistance), the flexibility of hurdling (construction requirements), and the aesthetics of pole vaulting (decorative requirements), making it suitable for high-end scenarios with higher and more comprehensive requirements.

Currently, Canlon has launched FPU-R aspartic polyurea waterproof coating to meet the needs of the civilian waterproofing market. This two-component environmentally friendly waterproof coating is made of unique polyaspartic ester resin and various additives with corresponding curing agents. It has high solids content, low VOC, can be directly applied to the surface of tiles, and has excellent adhesion. We believe it can provide you with an efficient and convenient superior repair experience!