Tnemec Company, Inc., a manufacturer of high-performance protective coatings, has introduced an extremely fast-curing, multi-purpose addition to its StrataShield line of resinous floor and wall products. Series 256 ExcellaThane, a modified aliphatic polyaspartic, provides a return-to-service time of three hours for light traffic and six hours for full service, as well as low-temperature cure capabilities, according to Joe Schmit, director of the StrataShield flooring line.

“Series 256 offers exceptional versatility,” Schmit explained. “It can be used as a thin film or for building aggregate, quartz, or decorative flake-filled floor topping systems. It also provides excellent resistance to yellowing, which means the floor will retain its aesthetics better than a traditional epoxy floor system. And it offers excellent gloss and color retention as a clear coat, or when field tinted with standard StrataShield colors or custom colors.”

As a 100 percent solids polyaspartic, Series 256 is low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and exhibits low odor, allowing use of the coating near occupied spaces. This characteristic makes Series 256 a viable alternative to methyl methacrylate (MMA) floor coating products that exhibit a distinctively strong odor.

“Series 256 also has demonstrated stronger resistance to certain chemicals which can be an advantage in areas where frequent cleaning will occur,” noted Schmit. “When combined to create a full resinous flooring system, Series 256 also protects against impact and abrasion.”

At a commercial kitchen in Raleigh, North Carolina, Series 256 ExcellaThane was used to build a decorative quartz aggregate floor topping system that limited out-of-service downtime while allowing ease of cleaning. In less than two hours after topcoating, the slip-resistant flooring system was cured and ready for light traffic.

Pharmaceutical companies are also using Series 256 for vivarium and biocontainment areas that regularly encounter aggressive cleaning solutions. At Jackson Laboratories in Farmington, Connecticut, Series 256 provided a fast turn-around time and extended color and gloss retention as a topcoat, which was applied over a decorative flake flooring system built with a polyurethane modified cement primer and epoxy base coat.

“Tnemec’s line of StrataShield floor and wall coatings can be combined for a variety of different systems for almost any environment,” Schmit added. “Whenever a project calls for a fast-cure, high-performance flooring system, Series 256 will be a reliable option for the specifier and applicator.”