Today, the civil engineering and coatings industries are without any doubt convinced of the advantages of using waterborne epoxy systems: these systems are environment‑friendly, they offer enhanced work comfort (less smell) and reduced toxicity for the applicators working in closed areas. They are not flammable, they allow for easy cleaning of the application tools with water. These systems also do exhibit excellent adhesion on concrete and on humid surfaces, and they can even be used on wet concrete.
However, formulators are still reluctant to switch to waterborne epoxy binders because they still encounter problems using those:
waterborne systems tend to cure slowly; their application thickness is often limited; the final gloss of cured coatings is also known to be poor, because of an imperfect film formation process. Finally, the protective efficiency of aqueous epoxy formulations, in particular on metal, is regularly questioned and does not always attain the performances achieved by their non-aqueous counterparts.
In QR-Polymers, we believe we can offer waterborne curing agents which address these concerns. Through R&D and close cooperation with our customers, we are continuously improving and expanding our product range to meet today and tomorrow market requirements.
A summary of our main waterborne products can be found below.
| Hardeners | Solids (% m/m) | Viscosity @25°C (mPa.s) | HEW (g/Eq) | Gel time (minutes) | Uses and comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q-RIT 1051 | 50 | 30000-50000 | 210 | 120-180 (a) ≥ 6 hours (b) | Aqueous epoxy-polyaminoamide adduct without cosolvent, for concrete and metal coatings. Enables to emulsify epoxy resins in water. Good adhesion on metal and mineral substrates, including wet concrete. Use with liquid epoxy resin (phr 110, resin EEW 190) or with solid dispersion. |
| Q-RIT 1061 | 50 | 13000-23000 | 210 | 120-180 (a) ≥ 6 hours (b) | Universal aqueous epoxy-polyaminoamide adduct without cosolvent, for concrete and metal coatings. Enables to emulsify epoxy resins in water. Excellent adhesion on a variety of substrates. Dilutable to very low solids for a good impregnation of concrete. High flexibility, ideal for use on metal. Outstanding corrosion protection when combined with solid resin. Use with liquid epoxy resin (phr 110, resin EEW 190) or with solid dispersion. |
| Q-RIT 1071 | 55 | 18000-28000 | 230 | 60 (a) ≥ 6 hours (b) | Aqueous amine-adduct without cosolvent for general industrial coatings, floorings, epoxy-modified concrete, grouts. Formulation of thick systems. Very fast hardening and early water resistance. Use with liquid epoxy (phr 120, resin EEW 190) or with solid resin dispersion. |
| Q-RIT 1075 | 40 | 15000-35000 | 415 | 90 (a) 120 (b) | Aqueous amine-adduct without cosolvent for metal and concrete coatings. Excellent water and salt spray resistance. Fast physical drying, full cure after 2-3 days. Low colour and high UV-resistance with good gloss retention. Use with liquid epoxy (phr 220, resin EEW 190) or with solid resin emulsion. |
| RD-0205WH | 70 | Typically 10000 | 180 | 60 (a) ≥ 6 hours (b) | Amine-adduct, 70% solids in propylene glycol n-butyl ether. For waterborne dispersions. Can emulsify epoxy resins. Highly pseudoplastic. Can be charged with zinc in the formulation of zinc rich primers. Use with liquid epoxy (phr 100, resin EEW 190) or solid resin dispersion. |
| (a) with liquid resin (EEW 190), 100 g mix, measured @23°C (b) with solid resin dispersion (EEW 450-560 on 100% solid), 100 g mix, measured @23°C |
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| Resins | Solids (% m/m) | Viscosity @25°C (mPa.s) | EW (g/Eq) | Uses and comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-Pos 1011W55 | 55 | 800-5000 | 480-560 (a) | Aqueous dispersion of solid epoxy resin. For anticorrosive, industrial coatings and civil engineering applications (concrete sealers). Long pot-life, very good chemical resistance and mechanical properties. |
| E-Pos 1014 | 100 | 1500-4000 | 190-250 | Emulsifiable liquid epoxy resin. For civil engineering applications (concrete sealers/primers, floorings, tile joints, cement modification…), adhesives. |
| E-Pos 1014W60 | 60 | 3000-13000 | 190-250 (a) | Aqueous liquid resin emulsion. For civil engineering applications (concrete sealers/primers, floorings, tile joints, cement modification…), adhesives. |
| (a) on 100% solid resin | ||||
There is increasing interest globally for water-based industrial paints. Water-based zinc rich primers are difficult to prepare due to the reactivity of zinc powder with water, evolving hydrogen gas. As a result, solvent-based materials are still widely used. QR Polymers has developed an innovative concept of a water-free water-based hardener: RD-0205WH which has been specifically developed for this application. The zinc is dispersed in the hardener which contains no water and is
