Tensile or tear  strength, elasticity, adhesion; the ability for a liquid material to bond, cure, be flexible yet withstand high degrees of stress prior to tearing, deforming or separating from it’s substrate. Several spray-on  poly-type formulas have these characteristics when cured.  These products get advertized as, “permanent”, “high or extreme tensile or tear resistance”, “#1 in surface protection”, etc…. after adhesion to a substrate these are usually true behaviors. Applications such as military, aerospace, explosion-mitigation or acid resistance are promoted. Some manufacturer’s claims can be over-stated.

True or not, these statements are always proudly displayed.

In applications of extreme intensity, these coatings are functional and may be worth big investments.

FACT: All extreme resistance formulas are extremely expensive.  Polyurea, hybrids, aliphatic and elastomeric polyurethane were designed with specific properties for protection from the most abusive conditions. Commercial use  associated with large amounts of constant high friction force and / or intense acidic environments should come into play to justify these applications, complexities and costs in protecting high-end surfaces.

These formulas can require high-tech equipment, exacting surface preparation and well-trained, applicators. If correct ambient conditions like humidity, surface and formula temperature are within a range of “acceptable”, the coating or lining will usually succeed.  If the truck bed liner applicator or contractor gets a good price, then investment dollars in equipment, materials, training, labor, advertizing and incidentals has paid off. This is profitable. Final client and applicator get ROI in this case. (Product vendor sells for profit in any case.)

FALLACY: Are these specialized, expensive, complex formulas and spray-on equipment needed for all slip-proofing or anti-stick jobs? How low in price can a polyurea, hybrid, elastomeric or aliphatic contractor or truck bed lining dealer, mobile or not, negotiate with these products & systems? Can clients in need of, say, 120 + mils of solid, flexible coating with either slip and/or stick resistance ever get deals below $7.00/ft ² with fair profit for the applicator? . . . How many jobs are lost because of cost factor? It is true that a low quality coating applied by an untrained crew will probably fail. But is it possible to lower costs, lower retail price, obtain fair profit yet still get the mil height, adhesion, qualities and years of protection required for your service?

THE SOLUTION: Where it’s not possible to dilute these poly formulas, it is possible to reduce the amount applied as a top layer and still retain the mil thickness using a lower cost material for the required build. By use of less complicated materials and equipment, these same high-cost applications are accomplished. Many applications don’t require over 5000 PSI in tensile or tear strength. A quality filler layer with strong adhesion is all this takes. Higher cost material now functions as a top coat (and / or tack coat) only, as needed.

Even when extreme conditions call for expensive materials, lower cost products may still allow all needed characteristics for a high-quality finish. When extremely adhesive epoxy is used as a binder, this along with a  low cost, solid filler material easily creates any thickness.  Two steps are required to reduce cost: 1) Bond with the substrate. 2) Fill the new surface just below the overall mil height required. Now the expensive blend is applied if over 5000 PSI resistance is needed. Most any overall texture and behavior may be obtained. Now a thicker surface can provide better protection for longer times while simplifying applications and lowering costs. These substitutes or fillers are less sensitive solutions to complex systems. So the “solution” is strong, high adhesive fillers of various textures.

Filler products are the way of our future! Some quality fillers are made from recycled, (read: GREEN ™) materials processed by exacting facilities. Characteristics such as adhesion, tensile, tear, compression and elasticity are achieved by just mixing with strong epoxies; very simple formulas. Some will bond into poly materials. Fast drying, curing, strong bonding filler combinations exist. They lower cost but can increase quality. They are much less complex; less sensitive to required application conditions. That is an alternative. The basic example is the thin, under 20 mils polyurea topcoat bonding to a thick, over 120 mils of filled epoxy. Overall hard, medium to very soft behaviors are easily achieved with over 70% cost reduction. Final product would be superior.

Find out more about polyurethane, polyurea, ply-hybirds’s tensile strength and more…