The fastest-curing protective coating in the industry
Polyurea cures in seconds. Everything else about it is also extreme — extreme abrasion resistance, extreme flexibility, extreme chemical resistance, extreme temperature range. It's the coating you specify when downtime has to be measured in minutes rather than days, when no other system survives the chemistry or abuse, when waterproofing has to be guaranteed seamless across thousands of square metres.
We deploy polyurea using high-pressure plural-component spray equipment heated to 70-80 °C, mixing the isocyanate (Part A) and amine resin blend (Part B) at the spray gun in a 1:1 ratio. Reaction starts in 5-15 seconds. Walk-on in a minute. Full cure in hours.
What makes polyurea different
| Capability | Polyurea | Liquid epoxy | Polyurethane |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gel time | 5-15 seconds | 30-50 minutes | 2-4 hours |
| Walk-on time | 1 minute | 4-6 hours | 30-90 minutes |
| Elongation at break | 200-600% | 1-3% | 50-150% |
| Tensile strength | 15-25 MPa | 30-50 MPa (rigid) | 25-40 MPa |
| Service temperature | -40 to +150 °C | -40 to +95 °C | -40 to +120 °C |
| Moisture sensitivity during cure | None | High | Moderate |
| VOC content | Zero (100% solids) | Low or none | Variable |
What we coat with polyurea
- Potable water pipeline linings (NSF/ANSI 61-certified grades, fully seamless and hygienic)
- Crude oil and multiphase pipeline internals for H₂S, CO₂, brine service
- Wastewater and sewage networks where chemical resistance to corrosive effluent is critical
- Storage tank linings for hydrocarbons, chemicals, water — full-tank seamless membrane
- Secondary containment bunds — instant waterproof lining for spill protection
- Bridge decks and concrete substrates — abrasion-resistant overlay
- Offshore topsides — splash zones, helideck non-slip coatings, ballast tanks
Build specifications
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| DFT range | 1-6 mm typical, up to 25 mm in single pass |
| Tensile strength | 15-25 MPa |
| Elongation at break | 200-600% |
| Hardness | Shore 80A to 60D (project-spec dependent) |
| Service temperature | -40 °C to +150 °C continuous |
| Gel time | 5-15 s |
| Tack-free | 30-90 s |
| Walk-on | 60 s |
| Full cure | 24 h |
| VOC content | Zero (100% solids) |
How polyurea is built
Part A: aromatic or aliphatic isocyanate prepolymer. Part B: amine resin blend (typically polyetheramines + chain extenders).
Sprayed via heated plural-component pump (Graco / GlasCraft) at ~200 bar, 70-80 °C. The heat ensures the components stay at the right viscosity for atomization and instant reaction at the gun head.
Why amine, not polyol?
Polyurethane uses a hydroxyl-functional polyol — slow cure, sensitive to moisture during cure, can blister in humid conditions. Polyurea uses an amine resin instead — reaction is roughly 1000× faster and moisture-insensitive, which is why polyurea cures cleanly even at -20 °C ambient or in 95% humidity.
Standards on every project
- NSF/ANSI 61 — drinking-water safety (potable-grade polyureas)
- ASTM D7234 — pull-off adhesion testing (≥ 12 MPa to blasted steel)
- ASTM C957 — liquid-applied waterproofing membranes
- NORSOK M-501 — offshore protective coating
- NACE SP0394 — pipeline internal coating
- ISO 20340 — performance qualification, offshore
Our field deployment process
- Surface prep — Sa 2½ blast (steel) or CSP-3 to CSP-5 (concrete)
- Apply matching epoxy or polyurea-compatible primer; allow flash-off
- Pre-heat polyurea components to 70-80 °C in plural-component pump
- Spray at 200 bar, building DFT in stacked passes on the same day
- DFT measurement and holiday detection on critical service
- Adhesion test (ASTM D7234) on coupons
- Return to service — typically same day for buried/concealed work, 24-48 h for full chemical service
Buyer's questions
Polyurea vs polyurethane — what's the actual difference? Polyurethane uses a polyol; polyurea uses an amine. The amine reacts roughly 1000× faster with isocyanate, which is why polyurea cures in seconds and polyurethane in hours. Polyurea is also moisture-insensitive during cure, while polyurethane can fail in humid conditions.
Is polyurea expensive? Per kg, yes — it's a premium product. But because there's almost zero downtime and a single coat replaces multi-layer systems, total project cost can be lower than alternatives on critical-path work.
Can polyurea be applied in cold weather? Yes — unlike epoxies and PU, polyurea cures down to -20 °C ambient. The plural-component machine heats the material itself, so ambient temperature has minimal impact on cure speed.
