Epoxy Paints

Some specific examples serve to highlight the broad application of epoxy coatings. In building and construction, an epoxy coating may be used for high performance and decorative flooring applications, both in heavy foot and vehicle traffic areas and settings which require high aesthetics, such as colored concrete and terrazzo. In the marine industry, an epoxy coating is used as a primer to enhance adhesion of paints applied as a final coating to hulls and decks. An epoxy coating may also be used to protect the internal surface of fiber-reinforced hulls. In the food industry, an epoxy coating may be applied to metal containers to prevent rust and taste degradation.

Technically, an epoxy or polyepoxide coating is a thermo setting copolymer. It is a copolymer because it is formed from the combination of two different materials — an epoxide resin and a polyamine hardener. The hardener is effectively a catalyst that promotes polymerization. The polymerization process produces extensive cross-linking of the two materials contributing to the compound's strength.