Service 08 · Spray-Applied Protective Linings
Plural-component spray-applied polyurea linings — a 100% solids, zero-VOC membrane that gels in seconds and returns a tank, basin or deck to service in hours, not the days a conventional epoxy system needs.
Polyurea is a two-component elastomer, sprayed hot and at pressure so the reaction happens in the gun rather than in the drum. There is no solvent to flash off and no catalyst waiting on ambient humidity, which is what lets it cure in seconds rather than hours and go down on a damp substrate that would blister a conventional coating.
The same reaction gives it its working range: full elasticity from −50°C to continuous service at 150°C, with elongation well beyond what a rigid epoxy film can absorb before it cracks. That is what makes it suit lining work — a cooling tower basin, a wastewater tank, a manhole shaft — where the substrate itself moves, corrodes or floods.
Every square metre is holiday (spark) tested for pinhole-free coverage and checked for dry film thickness before handover, so what is certified is what was actually applied.
Included in scope
| Property | Epoxy | Polyurea |
|---|---|---|
| Cure time | 24 hours to several days for a full cure | Gels in 3–10 seconds, walkable in 5–45 minutesMinimises facility shutdown time. |
| Moisture sensitivity | Moisture induces blistering and amine blush | Moisture-insensitive during applicationCan be sprayed in high humidity and on damp concrete. |
| Elongation & flexibility | Low (under 5–15%), brittle under thermal strain | High (300–600%+), flexible even in extreme coldBridges structural movement cracks without tearing. |
| Colour & UV stability | Average to poor — yellows and chalks in direct sun | Aliphatic topcoats are UV-stable and colourfastAromatic base coats are for below-grade or hidden work only. |
| Abrasion resistance | Good under light-to-moderate vehicular wear | Outperforms many rubbers, plastics and metalsWithstands abrasive slurry, gravel and heavy transport. |
| Tensile & tear strength | Average, with low puncture absorption | Superior (15–25+ MPa) with strong tear resistanceAbsorbs impact from dropped tools and equipment. |
| Chemical resistance | Good for standard industrial oils and mild detergents | Resists caustic gases, H2S, acids and hydrocarbonsSuited to digesters, refineries and chemical sumps. |
| VOC & solvent content | Often solvent-carried, with associated VOC fumes | 100% solids — zero VOC, solvent-free, odourlessSafe for potable water and confined-space work. |
| Operating temperature | −20°C to +110°C | −50°C to +150°C, with intermittent spikes to +160°CRetains elasticity at −50°C without embrittlement. |
| Build in one pass | Multiple coats with recoat intervals between them | Any thickness achieved in a single continuous sprayNo inter-coat delamination risk — a true monolithic lining. |
| Coverage | Variable — shrinkage from solvent loss on cure | Approximately 1 litre per m² at 1.0 mm dry film thicknessNear-total volume conversion from wet liquid to cured solid. |
| Expected service life | Average — recoats typically needed every 2–4 years | 15–25+ years expected service lifeLowest lifecycle cost of the systems compared here. |
Indicative comparison against a conventional epoxy system. Actual performance depends on the specific products and application conditions — confirmed against your substrate at quotation.
Plant we have installed and equipment we have had apart — photographed on the shop floor and on site, not staged.
Ranges below cover the majority of what we make. Duties outside them are reviewed case by case rather than refused on principle.
| Dry film thickness | 1.0 mm to 3.0 mm+ in a single pass |
|---|---|
| Gel time | 3–10 seconds, tack-free in 30–60 seconds |
| Service temperature | −50°C to +150°CIntermittent spikes to +160°C |
| Tensile strength | 15–25+ MPa |
| Elongation at break | 300% – 600%+ |
| Solids content | 100% solids, zero VOC |
| Substrates | Steel, concrete, cast iron, GRP, sound existing coatings |
Indicative figures. Final specification is confirmed against your duty and site survey at quotation.
Standards & testing
The same sequence every time, so you know what happens next and what is expected of you at each stage.
Adhesion pull-off testing, moisture and dew-point checks, and a contamination survey establish the baseline before anything is specified.
Abrasive blasting to a defined surface profile — SSPC-SP10 / NACE 2 for steel, CSP 3–5 for concrete — strips oxidised rust, laitance and failed coating back to sound substrate.
A deep-penetrating primer seals pinholes and porosity where the substrate calls for it, so the polyurea bonds to a sound, sealed surface rather than trapping outgassing beneath it.
Heated proportioning equipment mixes the two components at the gun and builds the specified thickness in a single continuous pass, with no cold joints between lifts.
Holiday (spark) testing confirms pinhole-free coverage, dry film thickness is verified electromagnetically, and the results are handed over with the job.
Thermal & mechanical
Corrosion remediation, hot water pan lining and basin restoration for induced-draught cooling towers and evaporative condensers.
Oil & gas infrastructure
Protects steel pipelines, chemical tanks and process structures from hydrocarbon exposure and coastal corrosion.
Civil & environmental
Impermeable, sulfuric-acid-resistant lining for municipal sewage plants, potable water reservoirs and clarifier basins.
Municipal infrastructure
Structural rehabilitation for ageing brick, block and concrete manholes exposed to sewer gases and groundwater infiltration.
Energy infrastructure
Dielectric protection and corrosion defence for generation, transmission and substation structures.
Automotive & logistics
Durable bed liners and protective encapsulation for utility trucks, transit mixers and mining equipment.
Based on the standard 100% solids conversion — 1 litre covers 1 m² at 1.0 mm dry film thickness. Estimate the material volume for your scope and compare downtime against a conventional coating.
Project parameters
Indicative figures for a cooling tower basins scope. Final material quantity and return-to-service time are confirmed against your substrate and site survey at quotation.
Polyurea gels in 3 to 10 seconds and is tack-free within 30 to 60 seconds. Light foot traffic is possible within 15 minutes, and full operational service — including chemical and immersion loading — typically resumes in 2 to 4 hours. A conventional epoxy needs 24 to 72 hours between coats and up to 7–14 days for a full chemical cure.
Yes. Unlike systems that rely on a temperature- or moisture-sensitive catalyst, polyurea cures through an uncatalysed reaction between isocyanate and polyether amine. It cures reliably in high humidity, on damp substrates, and at temperatures down to −20°C without blistering or amine blush.
The formulations we specify for potable and food-grade work are 100% solids with zero VOCs and no solvent diluent. Once cured they do not leach or taint stored water or product, which is why polyurea is widely specified for municipal reservoirs and food-grade silos — confirmed against the relevant approval for your specific project at quotation.
After grit blasting back to sound metal, polyurea is spray-applied across the full basin. It bonds to the prepared steel, seals pitted areas, bridges seams that flex under vibration, and tolerates continuous hot-water immersion without degrading — extending the working life of a basin that would otherwise be scheduled for replacement.
A rigid epoxy has typically under 5% elongation, so a settlement crack or thermal movement telegraphs straight through the film and causes delamination. Polyurea carries 300–600%+ elongation at break, so it stretches over a moving substrate rather than tearing at the crack.
Thickness is set by service severity: light waterproofing and cleanroom flooring are typically 1.0–1.5 mm; cooling tower basins, wastewater clarifiers and containment dikes are usually 2.0–2.5 mm; heavy-impact duty such as mining truck beds and slurry tanks is applied at 3.0 mm or more. Because it is 100% solids, any of these thicknesses can be built in a single spray pass.
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Eight service lines. One engineering team. Tell us your load, site and timeline — we will come back with a costed proposal.