1.866.366.7035 3221 Lawnwood St. Ft Worth, TX 76111
1.866.366.7035 3221 Lawnwood St. Ft Worth, TX 76111

Benefits of Polyurea

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Polyurea?

Polyurea is a type of elastomer that is derived from the reaction product of an isocyanate component and a synthetic resin blend component through step-growth polymerization. The isocyanate can be aromatic or aliphatic in nature. It can be monomer, polymer, or any variant reaction of isocyanates, quasi-prepolymer or a prepolymer. The prepolymer, or quasi-prepolymer, can be made of an amine-terminated polymer resin, or a hydroxyl-terminated polymer resin. The end result is a rubber or soft plastic compound that may be used in many of the same ways as older technologies – polyurethane, epoxy, vinyl ester, neoprene or HDPE.

Is Polyurea difficult to apply?

Polyurea requires special training and equipment in order to utilize the product correctly. Whether the Polyurea is used for concrete or secondary containment, Ameraguard has full time technicians and trainers to aid in any aspect of the applicators needs.

What all can I spray with Polyurea?

Polyurea can be used to coat or contain any substance from normal sanitary sewer systems, to FDA/potable water applications, onto crude oil secondary containment. Ameraguard Polyurea should not be used for any applications involving attack by:

Halogen substituted Solvents

  • Carbon tetrachloride
  • Highly substituted carbon rings
  • Methylene chloride
  • Tetrachloroethane
  • Trichlorethene
  • Trichloroethane

Non-Halogenated Solvents and Ketones

  • Acetone
  • Acetonitrile
  • Acetophenone
  • Benzene
  • Butanol
  • Camphor oil
  • Cyclohexanone
  • Diethyl ether
  • Diisobutyl ketone
  • Ethyl acetate
  • Hexane
  • Methyl ethyl ketone
  • Methyl isobutyl ketone
  • Pentane
  • Phenol
  • Xylene

  • Acidic compounds with pH of 4 or lower
  • Basic compounds with pH of 11 or higher. In the case of Non-aqueous (anhydrous and anhydride compounds in granular, crystalline, or powder form) that are protected by an air drying system may be acceptable for contact with polyurea. Speak with an Ameraguard associate for clarification.
  • Amine Attacking And Amine Containing Compounds Strong, inorganic acids, organic acid halides, aldehydes, isocyanates, organic anhydrides. Given that the backbone of polyurea is a poly amine chain, it is only natural any compounds that seek to attach this bond link will be unacceptable for containment with polyurea. Examples of these are;
  • Aminoethylethanolamine
  • Aniline
  • Ethylamine
  • Methylamine
  • Pyridine
  • Toluenediamine

What kind of temperatures will polyurea withstand (and will it burn)?

Ameraguard polyurea temperatures of operation and application are -40o F to +250o F, depending on the formulation. Some formulas have flash points much higher, however this is dependent of system. While polyurea will burn when exposed to direct flame. It will self extinguish when flame is removed.

Is polyurea hard or soft?

Polyurea may be either hard or soft depending on the particular formulation and the intended use. hardness ratings may range from Shore A 30 (very soft) to Shore D 80 (very hard).

What’s the difference between Aliphatic and Aromatic polyurea systems?

Aliphatic polyurea systems are typically high pressure/temperature sprayed systems and a “polyaspartic polyurea” type system. The Polyaspartic system can be hand applied using rollers; brushes; rakes or even airless sprayers. The aspartic systems are typically utilized to thinly coat the top of an aromatic polyurea in order to protect it from UV degradation. Aromatic polyurea systems may be processed through low pressure “cold” cartridge systems, or high pressure, heated plural component pumps and sprayed through an impingement type spray-gun. The latter is true also for the aliphatic version of this type of system, the primary difference being the color stability of the aliphatic systems.

Application Specific Questions

On typical polyurea applications would we have any issues with two separate areas, sprayed at two different times, adhering to one another at the overlapping joints?

The short answer is, no. With that being said, we suggest cleaning the area and applying bonding agent to the overlapping area. This will allow for the polyurea’s amine chains to be susceptible to new bond adhesion from the polyurea being seamed.

What formulas shrink the least? Can they be applied over polystyrene foam?

Yes! AG77 and AG7123 have about 0.5% shrinkage and Either can be applied over high density EPS. We currently spray EPS foam tank pads with AG7123 for use in the oilfield. This is a great example of two compounds that complement each other very well.

Is polyurea used for floor coatings?

Yes, Polyurea flooring systems have been in use for over a decade. Aside from residential and industrial floor applications, we also have anti-microbial, ASI61, and FDA approved formulas.

Can I coat stainless steel?

We suggest not to, however, it can be done using a special primer. We would need to determine the reason you are wanting to spray stainless as stainless steel is already a great substrate.

What is the typical weight per of geotextile fabric?

For geotextile fabric, the common weight used is 8oz to 10oz, but depending upon the type of work.

My polyurea has bubbles/blisters. What is causing this?

Are these blisters / bubbles within the polyurea, or between the polyurea and the substrate?

If they are within the polyurea, it is likely due to moisture. This could have been produced from your compressor or from the weather.

Priming may not have been performed properly.

Also, possibly the mix was off-ratio due to incorrect equipment set-up or required maintenance.

What kind of paint to use when going over polyurea?

Generally, a good quality 100% acrylic latex paint works well over sprayed polyurea.

I am looking at getting into secondary containment and pit liners using Ameraguard’s patented pre-sprayed polyurea product on geotextile. How many linear feet can be seamed together per gallon?

The amount of linear footage one can apply per gallon will depend on numerous factors. how thick the AG7123 is being applied to the seamed portions of geotextile fabric, and the wind speed at location.

The typical thickness is 60 to 80 mils (1.5 – 2 mm) of AG7123. Most applicators get approximately 50 linear feet per gallon (in the field).

It is very hard to answer exactly how much it would cost per sq. ft or linear ft. due to the vast changes in location from job site to job site. Aside from this factor, there is also applicator experience, equipment, and travel costs.

We are interested in using pre-sprayed geotextile instead of spraying everything in the field. How much is per-sprayed per sq ft and why is it better than spraying in the field?

The patented pre-sprayed geotextile is $1.90 a square foot. We feel this is a very competitive price. Our pre-sprayed is robotically sprayed to 50mils and then textured with an additional 10mils. This gives our liner an overall thickness of 60mils. Some others may sell their liner at lower costs, however is is important to ask if they are 60mills thick and if there is texture. Typically, a lower cost indicates a lower mil thickness, or a non-textured product.

Using pre-sprayed geo rather than spraying in the field cuts down drastically on labor and time of installation. Aside from this savings, the amount of chemical for the 15’x50’ or 15’x100’ pre-sprayed sheets have already been carefully calculated. Due to spraying by robot and spraying in a controlled environment, the environmental factor is cut out of the application equation. This allows us to get on average 700sqft more out of a drum set of chemical compared to spraying outdoors by hand. This allows us to pass this savings onto the customer and provide a guaranteed 60mill pure polyurea liner to our customer.

I noticed you note that your pre-sprayed is “patented”. What exactly does this mean?

The patented pre-sprayed geotextile is robotically sprayed indoors in a controlled environment. produced with an automated robot. We have partnered with Mike Whitener at TCS who is the patent holder. together we hold US Patent 8,500,941 B2, US 9,056,714 B2, and Canada Patent CA 2683244 for "secondary containment panels & process for making and installing same". Unlike field applied system, our patented system is manufactured in a controlled environment out of the wind and elements. The Ameraguard pre-sprayed arrives at the job site fully cured and ready for rapid installation. They are produced in a 15’x50’ and 15’x100’ standard sizes, however if you require custom sizes, please speak with a sales associate.

Extensive QA/QC is done on each RoboLiner® and each RoboLiner® is tested and recorded insuring the best product possible.

What if I use another manufacturer’s “pre-sprayed” geotextile?

It is ultimately up to you whether you do or don’t use our patented pre-sprayed geotextile. With that being said, most / all MSA’s each applicator holds with and oil company require the applicator NOT be in violation of any patents. By using another manufactures “pre-sprayed” product, you are in direct violation of this stipulation on your MSA. You ARE NOT in violation if you spray the geotextile yourself in the field or on site. This pertains ONLY to the process of “pre-spraying” in a controlled environment for later use via “seaming” together on location.