Polyaspartic coatings have rapidly become a preferred technology for commercial, industrial, and decorative flooring applications. They cure at ambient temperatures and do not have a need for post cure, saving energy in environments where downtime must be minimized.
However, formulators often face a difficult balancing act when developing pigmented polyaspartic systems.
While high-performance dispersants are needed to maximize color development, reduce viscosity, and prevent pigment flocculation, they can negatively affect pot life, cure speed, or storage stability.
The result is a common formulation challenge: achieving excellent pigment dispersion without disrupting the carefully engineered reactivity of the polyaspartic system.
Polyaspartic coatings are a subcategory of aliphatic polyurea technology that offers a unique performance profile compared to traditional epoxy and polyurethane flooring systems.
Key advantages include:
One of the biggest advantages of polyaspartics is their ability to cure significantly faster than may other conventional floor coatings. This quicker return to service improves cycle time of jobs and can reduce installation costs.
Polyaspartic coatings provide strong abrasion resistance, chemical resistance, and mechanical protection. These characteristics make them ideal for warehouses, manufacturing plants, garages, laboratories, and commercial facilities.
Many modern polyaspartic formulations can be designed for very high solids or near-zero VOC content, helping formulators address environmental and regulatory requirements.
Pigment dispersants are essential for achieving stable, high-quality color dispersions. A properly selected dispersant can:
Unfortunately, not all dispersants are suitable for highly reactive polyaspartic systems.
For flooring contractors and applicators, pot life is a critical property in coatings. Once Part A and Part B are mixed, the coating must remain workable long enough to allow proper application and to flow out into a nice smooth surface that polyaspartic coatings are known for. A dispersant that delivers excellent color development but significantly reduces working time can create processing challenges.
Excess moisture in the formulation can significantly reduce pot life and adversely affect surface appearance. Additionally, additives with a higher acid number may accelerate the reaction and further shorten pot life.
To evaluate dispersant performance in polyaspartic floor coatings, testing was conducted in both white and gray flooring formulations based on polyaspartic resin technology. The performance of Borchi® Gen 0451 was compared against a competitive dispersant.
Borchi Gen 0451 is a high molecular weight, nonionic, VOC-free dispersing agent designed for organic and carbon black pigments in waterborne and solventborne coatings. Key features include:
Results with this dispersant were recently observed in white and gray pigmented polyaspartic starting point formulations.
Compared with a competitive dispersant, Borchi Gen 0451 achieved:
This combination is highly desirable because formulators typically expect a tradeoff between pot life and cure speed. In this study, Borchi Gen 0451 delivered faster drying characteristics without reducing usability during application.
Flocculation is a common challenge in pigmented coatings and can lead to color inconsistency, appearance defects, reduced gloss, and diminished long-term stability.
Testing in gray polyaspartic formulations showed that Borchi® Gen 0451 significantly reduced pigment flocculation compared with the competitive dispersant. White flocculation and streaking observed with the competitive product were not present when Borchi® Gen 0451 was used.
This improved stabilization contributes to more uniform color appearance and greater formulation robustness.
The time required for viscosity to double was:
Initial catalyzed viscosities were also comparable, indicating that the additive did not create processing challenges during application. These results demonstrate that improved pigment stabilization can be achieved without sacrificing working time, a key requirement for contractors and formulators alike.
Beyond dispersion quality and pot life, finished coating performance remained strong.
Testing demonstrated:
These results indicate that formulators do not need to trade final coating performance for improved dispersion quality.
As polyaspartic flooring technologies continue to grow in popularity, formulators need specialty additives that support both performance and processing requirements.
In gray and white pigmented polyaspartic floor coating formulations, Borchi Gen 0451 dispersant provided the following benefits over a competitive dispersant:
For formulators developing high-performance polyaspartic floor coatings, selecting a dispersant that delivers excellent dispersion without compromising pot life is critical. The data show that Borchi Gen 0451 offers a compelling solution for achieving both objectives simultaneously.
Contact our additive experts to see how we can enhance dispersions in your polyaspartic formulations.
Visit our additives for polyaspartic coatings page for surface additives, adhesion promoters, and more to enhance surface quality and adhesion in rapid-cure polyaspartic coatings.
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