A customer has asked me to make a couple of things for their laboratory and they stated: “it needs to be finished with something that would render them waterproof and resistant to most chemicals — spillage, etc. happens occasionally.”
I normally spray waterbourn products and was thinking that a poly would work. Is that enough or is there something stronger?
Replies
An epoxy coating.
Never used that before.
Can you suggest a kind or brand?
Links found on this page for engineered epoxy coatings:http://www.thomasnet.com/products/epoxy-coatings-15740400-1.htmlKey Resin Co. - Batavia, OH
Manufacturer
http://www.keyresin.com/products/key-mortar-systems.html
Company Profile: Custom manufacturer of epoxy coatings for protecting floors & walls. Specifications of epoxy coatings include 6 mil. to 13 mil. thickness, 80 D to 84 D shore hardness & 250 psi. bond strength. Epoxy coatings are skid, abrasion, chemical, impact & thermal shock resistant.
Brand Names: Key Resin
Edited 2/19/2009 6:49 am ET by Oilstone
I would talk to the sales rep or technical dept. of a paint/finishes comnpany. I don't mean depot or lowes sales people. In this area (SE GA/NE Fla) Jacksonville Paints has a pretty knowledgeable staff. You probably need to know what specific chemicals may be spilled. If you buy directly from sales reps, ask them. Or call companies directly.
Poly has little more chemical protection than waterbased. Depending which epoxy you use, lacquer may tear it up.
Hope this helps, and be sitting down when you get a price quote, and the process may not be easy.
Pete
Epoxy is one strong possibility; conversion varnish, and 2k polyurethane are others, in part depending on what chemicals must be resisted. There is an industry making laboratory bench and table tops. Google laboratory table tops for ideas about this. Some of the materials used are much more resistant than applied finishes.
Unfortunately, all these prospects call for greater protections for the applicator and neighborhood than most waterborne finishes. You have to evaluate whether you can safely apply such finishes.
Waterbornes are not likely to be the solution, in general not having nearly the chemical and moisture resistence of the other products. Waterborne poly's aren't really poly any more than single part poly varnishes aren't really poly either, they are just acyrlic or alkyd resins modified with the addition of some polyurethane resin.
I'd suggest they use soapstone. What kind of "lab"?
Gretchen's suggestion of soapstone is a good one from a durability and chemical resistance standpoint. I have also read that soapstone can be machined with wood working tools. Has anyone tried this?
Chris
Thanks. It is silly to want wood countertops to be lab tops. WHY.Gretchen
1. Wood deadens impact of glassware being set down.
2. It looks good. This is often important.
3. it practice it is more resistant than you might think.
4. It is comparatively easy to maintain. Wood can be resurfaced, laminate must be replaced. Stainless steel generates "clinks" all day long but makes sense in wet environments.
I have an advanced degree in microbiology and biochemistry so have seen MORE than my share of labs--and the need for cleaning counters and spills.
Soapstone is NOT laminate, and does not need repairing. It looks REALLY good, as witness the amount it is now being used in high end kitchens. It needs no renewoing of finish, and it doesn't click when glass is put down.
BUT have at the wood for a laboratory. It's "all right". I guess a burner won't harm it or the finish.Gretchen
Incidentally, so have I, but I'm afraid that I have never (knowingly) encountered soapstone. Only the surfaces I mentioned in my post.
Gretchen ,
In school science class rooms and such they have some dark maybe black counter surfaces , not sure what they are but I think not wood .
dusty
The coating you see on tabletops in bars and restaurants is an epoxy resin. I've never seen it in any of the big box stores, but you should be able to get it from places like Woodcraft, Rockler, Lee Valley etc.
Thompson's will not offer any substantial protection for your bench top, especially from scratches and general wear. It's very thin and, while it penetrates the wood it won't go any deeper than the veneer on plywood.
Ron
Here's a study comparing polyurethane to catalyzed lacquer.
"Here's a study comparing polyurethane to catalyzed lacquer."
The table says catalyzed poly. I know what catalyzed lacquer is, but what is catalyzed poly? I'm guessing it is not the poly -- either solvent-borne or water-borne -- we can buy at the local paint store.
That's right, there are two-part polyurethanes often called 2k, that contain 100% polurethane resin. In the version I have used, one part contains a polyol, and the other the isocyanate. When the two are combined, they react to form the polyurethane. I used this, a paint, not a clear finish, on the deck of my boat, and was quite glad, for the sake of my health, that there was a 15 knot breeze steadily blowing, despite the small amount of dust that remains in the finish. This is very tough stuff, not at all like single part polyurethane. Polyurethane isn't just a single resin, but comes in a great many formulations, all with somewhat differing properties. The application manual for the particular one I used was many pages long with exacting preparation requirements.
Edited 2/19/2009 12:20 pm ET by SteveSchoene
Epoxy may not be a good idea as:
1. The heat from hot-plates, bunsen burners etc may cause it to lift.
2. It may be too slick.
In the labs at my workplace we use:
1. Oiled wood tops which need refinishing every 2 - 3 years but look beautiful. (main lab, chemical section)
2. Melamine. (satellite labs, microbiology labs)
3. All stainless steel furniture in lineside labs.
Many labs use wood tops.
All 3 types of finish work OK. However the client should be more specific about the uses of the benchtops. In the long run what will matter most is the discipline in the lab. Are spills mopped up and neutralised immediately? Is equipment with missing rubber feet dragged along the benchtop? If somebody is heating a crucible to red heat do they place a heat insulating mat on the benchtop? etc etc.
Hope this helps.
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