The Waterborne Symposium

Abstract
Low VOC Waterborne Epoxy Floor Coatings

Over the past 30 years, the popularity and use of waterborne (WB) coatings has increased steadily, driven primarily by the desire to reduce the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and their impact on human health and the environment.  Inherently, WB coatings are low-toxic, low odor, eco-friendly, and easy to handle.  Through new WB epoxy technology and advancements in the past 10 - 20 years, WB epoxy coatings maintain all the performance strengths of traditional high VOC solventbased coatings and high solids systems, making them suitable for commercial and industrial use.  This paper describes some of our work in developing WB coatings designed for floor applications in warehouses, garages, hospitals, and light manufacturing plants.  We have developed high film build, self-leveling coatings, and satin gloss roller coatings at very low or even near zero VOC levels.  Various performance aspects of these experimental WB epoxy floor coatings will be discussed, including dry time, Shore D hardness, abrasion resistance, and compressive strength.  Starting formulations and application procedures will also be described.