Glossary

A

Abrasion Resistance
The ability of a coating to resist degradation due to mechanical wear.

Abrasive Media
The material used in abrasive blasting to remove surface contaminants. Examples of abrasive media are sand, iron shot, crushed iron slag, glass beads or ground nutshells.

Accelerated Weathering
A test designed to simulate but at the same time intensify and accelerate the destructive action of natural outdoor weathering.

Accelerator
A substance used in small proportions to increase the speed of a chemical reaction. Accelerators are used to hasten the curing of a resin system.

Acid Etching
Application of an acid (usually muriatic) to effect the chemical removal of cement paste to clean and condition concrete surfaces prior to application of thin-film sealers or coatings.

Acrylic Latex
An aqueous dispersion of acrylic resins.

Acrylic Resin
A clear resin attained by polymerizing various acrylic monomers either alone or in combination.

Activator
The curing agent of a two component coating system. Often incorrectly called catalyst. See "catalyst".

Adhesion
The degree of attachment between a coating or topping and the underlying material to which it is in contact (substrate).

Adsorption
The degree to which a surface allows liquid penetration.

Aggregate
A blend of various sized granular materials used to bulk up or extend resinous industrial floor toppings or linings. I.e., abrasives, quartz, granite, pea gravel, walnut shell, graphite, etc. Aggregate may also refer to colored sand and stone used in decorative floors other than Terrazzo. See Chips.

Air Cap (Air Nozzle)
Perforated housing for directing the atomizing air at the head of a air spray gun.

Air Drying
Curing of single component resins wherein drying takes place by oxidation or solvent evaporation by simple exposure to air without a hardener or catalyst.

Air Entrapment
The capture of air bubbles in resinous coatings systems.

Airless Spray
A spraying system in which paint is atomized using high hydraulic pressure rather than compressed air.

Alcohol
A group of solvents of relatively high evaporation rate but with fairly low solvent strength. Methanol, ethanol and isopropyl are common alcohols.

Aliphatic Hydrocarbons
A class of organic solvents which are composed of open chains of carbon atoms. Aliphatics are relatively weak solvents. Mineral spirits and VM & P Naphtha are aliphatic solvents.

Alkali
An aqueous liquid which has a pH value of between 7 and 14. A base or caustic material.

Alkyd Resin
Resins prepared by reacting alcohols and fatty acids. Widely used in relatively low cost, low performance paints and coatings. General Polymers does not provide alkyd coatings at this time.

Alligatoring
Surface imperfections of a coating film having the wrinkled appearance of alligator skin. Usually caused by the applied coating reacting with or “lifting” an existing surface coating or sealer.

Ambient Temperature
Room temperature or the existing temperature of the surroundings.

Amine
Materials often used as curing agents for epoxy coatings.

Amine Blush
See "Blush."

Anchor Pattern
The surface profile generated by abrasive blasting or some power tool cleaning. The distance between peaks and valleys of the blast profile.

Anode
The positive terminal of an electrical source. In a corrosion cell, the anode is the electrode that has the greater tendency to go into solution of the point at which corrosion occurs.

Aromatic Hydrocarbons
A class of relatively strong organic solvents which contain an unsaturated ring of carbon atoms. Examples are benzene, toluene and xylene.

Art Marble
Artificial Marble; Precast terrazzo.

Asphalt
A black resinous material of petroleum origin. While General Polymers can supply products that will bond to Asphalt, its inherent low tensile strength makes it difficult to provide a permanent topping.

ASTM
American Society for Testing and Materials. Most often incorrectly (but fittingly) referred to as “American Standard Test Method.”

ASTM D 4258 Standard practice for surface cleaning concrete for coating.
This practice includes surface cleaning of concrete to remove grease, dirt, and loose material prior to the application of coatings. Procedures include broom cleaning, vacuum cleaning, air blast cleaning, water cleaning, detergent water cleaning, and steam cleaning.

ASTM D 4259 Standard practice for abrading concrete.
This practice includes surface preparation of concrete to prepare the surface prior to the application of coatings. This practice is intended to alter the surface profile of the concrete.

ASTM D 4260 Standard practice for acid etching concrete.
This practice includes surface preparation of concrete to prepare the surface prior to the application of coatings. This practice is intended to alter the surface profile of the concrete.

ASTM D 4261 Standard practice for surface cleaning concrete unit masonry for coating.
This practice covers surface cleaning of concrete unit masonry to remove dust, dirt, mortar spatter, oil, and grease prior to the application of coatings. Procedures include vacuum cleaning, air-blast cleaning, water cleaning, detergent water wash, steam cleaning and mechanical cleaning. This practice is NOT intended to alter the surface profile of the concrete masonry units but to clean the surface.

ASTM D 4262 - 83 Standard test method for pH of chemically cleaned or etched concrete surfaces.
This test method covers the procedure for determining the acidity or alkalinity of concrete surfaces prepared by chemical cleaning or etching prior to coatings.

ASTM D 4263 - 83 Standard test method for indication of moisture in concrete by the plastic sheet method.
This test method is used to indicate the presence of capillary moisture in concrete.