NOVAPRODUCTS
Most conventional industrial coatings are based on synthetic polymers -- extremely large organic
molecules. Polymers provide the coating its capacity to adhere to the substrate, most of its chemical
resistance, and flexibility.
One of the notable properties of polymers, though, is that most are susceptible to damage and
degradation by continued exposure to sunlight. Degradation occurs because radiation in the
ultraviolet and blue end of the visible spectrum contains sufficient energy to break chemical bonds
within the polymer. Energetic solar radiation can create what are known as 'free radicals' -- atoms,
molecules, or ions that have unpaired valence electrons or an open electron shell. These 'dangling'
electrons make free radicals highly chemically reactive towards other substances, notably the large
organic polymer molecules. Free radicals literally tear large inorganic molecules apart and change
their chemical properties -- usually in undesirable ways.
An example -- unrelated directly to industrial coatings but familiar to most people -- is how energetic
solar radiation can create free radicals in skin cells, modify large organic molecules in our cells -namely the DNA -- and can cause a variety of skin cancers.
As radiation-induced degradation occurs, the ability of a conventional coating to provide chemical
and corrosion protection also degrades, and this degradation can include whitening of the coating as
well as coating delamination.
To compensate for this common property of polymers, conventional polymer coatings will often
contain a small percentage of inorganic material, typically a metallic oxide, to protect against this
degradation by radiation.
In contrast to conventional coatings which typically contain a large volume of organic polymers to a
smaller volume of inorganic oxides, Kratzfest coatings are just the reverse: a far larger proportion of
inorganic oxides with organic polymers, and our innovative process combines the best properties of
those inorganic oxides with the best properties of organic polymers. The lattice structure of the
inorganic oxides (think of the properties of rock or glass) provides strength, hardness, durability, and
UV resistance (after all, neither rock nor glass are much affected by solar radiation and have to suffer
a significant impact before they break).
Nevertheless, that same inorganic lattice structure can typically allow brittle fracture along the
lattice planes (when rocks do break -- they tend to fracture along lattice lines), so the addition of
organic polymer components in Kratzfest coatings provide elasticity, tensile strength, chemical
resistance, and the capacity to adhere to a variety of substrates.
But unlike conventional polymer coatings, Kratzfest coatings are not simply mixed blends of
inorganic and organic components: our unique process reorganizes the organic polymer chains and
chemically
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bonds them within the inorganic lattice structure. A completely integrated lattice matrix results and
retains the best properties of each while eliminating virtually all of the less desirable properties of
the components taken individually.
When considering the properties of a superior industrial surface coating almost everyone would
agree that it should:
• Be durable,
• Have excellent adhesion (bonding, cross-linking) to substrate,
• Be easy and convenient to apply,
• Be environmentally safe.
Let's look at some examples of what these properties imply: by 'durable' we mean, of course, the
ability to perform for a long period of time without significant deterioration and includes:
• Corrosion resistance (e.g. chlorides),
• UV resistance, (e.g. free radicals),
• Chemical resistance,
• Abrasion resistance.
• Temperature resistance.
Also, when discussing durability, adhesion, and bonding, we use the term "cross-link" in two
separate, but related concepts:
• High cross-link density within the material itself for corrosion and chemical resistance,
• High cross-link density from the coating material to the substrate for excellent adhesion and
bonding.
Kratzfest coatings are durable: the high ratio of inorganic to organic components results in an
extremely hard surface (again, think of rocks or glass) but the addition inorganic polymer molecules
completely integrated into the lattice matrix structure eliminates the brittle fracture planes of the
lattice and results in a matrix with just enough of the flexibility of the inorganic component to resist
cracking and shattering on impact -- in addition, of course, to many of the other desirable
properties of the polymer.
Using a classic measurement of material hardness like Ridgeway's extension of the Mohs scale, a
conventional polymer coating will have hardness of 4 whereas Kratzfest coatings range from 7 to 8.
Even high-performance conventional polymer coatings can be removed (or damaged) with
commercially available paint thinners based on methylene chloride. Kratzfestcoatings resist
methylene chlorides solution due to the higher concentration of inorganic oxides.
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Kratzfest coatings have excellent adhesion and bonding to a wide variety of substrates: they are
extremely thin and allow an impressive amount of surface contact between the inorganic polymers
embedded in the matrix and the substrate to which the coating is applied.
Kratzfest coatings are easy and convenient to apply. Conventional polymer coatings typically need
to be combined with a separate catalyst agent in order to harden (or 'cure'). This means that once a
conventional coating has its curing catalyst introduced, it must be applied immediately and any
excess not used for the job at hand will, in effect, be wasted. Kratzfest coatings harden by airdrying. Second (or even multiple) coats can be applied within minutes of the previous coat -- in fact,
subsequent coats bond to the previous coat much better if the time between coats is short.
Kratzfest coatings can be applied at almost any but the most extreme ambient temperatures: from
-30°F to 140°F.
Depending on the target environment of the treated surface, the Return-To-Service time (or
Introduction-To-Service time) of Kratzfest coatings can be as short as 24 hours. For extremely harsh
service environments, we recommend four days for maximum performance.
As for environmental safety concerns, Kratzfest coatings are far below California's South Coast Air
Quality Management's regulation minimum requirements (easily the most strict in the nation) for
volatile organic compounds (VOC's). They contain none of the isocyanate hardening agents found in
most high performance conventional polymer coatings. Kratzfest coatings literally harden and cure
with the oxygen and the moisture in the air.
Let's be honest: conventional polymer coatings, even those (and especially those) with high
performance properties, MIX organic polymers with inorganic additive in the attempt to leverage
the desirable properties of both.
But let's then point out the all-too-obvious: organic molecules and inorganic molecules don't really
like each other: they can be MIXED, but they just don't "play together well."
So let's be very clear: we're different. Kratzfest coatings are manufactured using a unique,
proprietary, controlled chemical reaction which actually COVALENTLY BOND the inorganic and
organic components into an integrated lattice matrix. Using the Kratzfest manufacturing process,
they don't just "play together well" they literally become an integrated, complementary whole.
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And finally a recap:
Kratzfest coatings:
• are durable
• are corrosion resistant,
• are UV resistant,
• are chemical resistant,
• are abrasion resistant,
• are temperature resistant,
• are extremely hard,
• have excellent adhesion to substrate,
• are easy and convenient to apply,
• are environmentally safe,
• have high cross-link density within the material itself,
• have high cross-link density bonding to the substrate.
In fact, if there's a performance property at which a Kratzfest coating doesn't excel, we've yet to find it.
Perth
July 2015
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