Smith Paint Products has officially expanded into the realm of industrial coatings with a series of two-part aliphatic polyaspartic systems designed to have both a 30- and 45-minute pot life.
Compared to a standard polyaspartic with a 20-minute window, Smith’s Polyaspartics are designed to be easier to apply. “With the extended pot life, the applicator can work the product as opposed to the product working the applicator,” says Chuck Brunner Jr., co-owner of the family-owned business in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. “I think it really widens the market and makes it an attractive option for more applicators.”
The high-performance, low-VOC systems, which have been in the works for the past 2 1/2 years, are hard, abrasion- and chemical-resistant films that can be applied to concrete, wood or metal, among other substrates. They meet Source Specific Standards Rule 1113 established by AQMD in California. In addition to commercial and industrial uses where quick turn-around times and extremely durable coatings are necessary, the polyaspartics are a great option for residential garages, Brunner says, as they’re resistant to hot-tire pickup.
The products are available in high gloss, low sheen and white, as well as spray and low temperature formulas. Brunner says the systems are also excellent mediums for color chips and quartz. The UV-resistant coatings have several coloring options including a palette of 15 reactive colorant packs and a Metallic and Luster series, all of which can be used for interior and exterior applications.
When discussing the attributes of the polyaspartic systems, Brunner says, “The 45-minute pot-life product is comparable in physical characteristics to the faster-cure formula but the turn-around time starts to slow down. You can get on the slower cure in four hours, which is OK is some instances. You can get on the faster-cure product in one to two hours.”
In addition to formulating the new coatings, chemists on staff have contributed to an automated process to produce Smith’s Polyaspartics. “Exposure to moisture will have an effect on polyaspartics,” Brunner says. “The results are more dependable with an automated process.”
Smith Polyaspartics have been successfully field tested through various applications for the last 12 to 18 months
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