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Polyurethanes: The Perfect Ingredient for a Food Processing Plant

  • Polyurethanes- The Perfect Ingredient for a Food Processing Plant
  • Polyurethanes- The Perfect Ingredient for a Food Processing Plant2

Polyurethanes: The Perfect Ingredient for a Food Processing Plant

Cementitious polyurethane flooring is one of the most popular surface choices for clients working within the food and beverage sector as it offers higher strength, better heat resistance and improved chemical resistance than epoxy or MMA alternatives.

Polyurethanes come in mortar form, combining cement and water-based technologies. The material is trowel applied in-situ, creating a seamless matt finish with exceptional strength and durability.

Polyurethanes exhibit a very high level of chemical resistance to corrosive substances, solvents and foodstuff by-products such as acids, alkalis and salts as well as hot oils, blood, sugar syrups and fats.

Graded aggregates can be incorporated within the polyurethane mortar to provide a high degree of slip resistance even in wet service conditions. The material can also be easily laid to falls and drainage outlets in order to prevent the pooling of water.

By far and away one of the biggest advantages of using a polyurethane flooring system in a food processing environment is its hygiene profile. Polyurethanes are non-porous, preventing bacteria and mould spores from surviving in joints or cracks typical of alternative flooring systems such as tiles or acid bricks.

To further enhance its hygiene performance, antimicrobial additives can be included within the mortar to positively inhibit the growth of gram positive and gram negative bacteria, destroying harmful microorganisms as soon as they land on the surface of the floor.

Polyurethane systems are also highly commended for their thermal resistance, performing well when subject to immediate or prolonged temperature swings. As a result, polyurethane floors can be cleaned at a much higher temperatures than epoxies or MMAs allowing for improved housekeeping practices.

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Ilona Osborne

Ilona Osborne is the Marketing Manager at Flowcrete Australia - a leading manufacturer of seamless resin floor solutions. In this role Ilona leads the regional marketing efforts in Australia and New Zealand to engage with construction professionals and to provide them with insights and information on resin flooring.

2 thoughts on “Polyurethanes: The Perfect Ingredient for a Food Processing Plant”

  1. what if i need to use polyurethane in food plant yet with the availability of battery cars moving around for handleing??
    please advise

    1. Hi Mohamad,

      Polyurethane resins are highly durable and are recommended by Flowcrete in areas subject to regular foot traffic, frequent forklift/battery car traffic and hard plastic wheeled trollies.

      Typically in industrial processing environments, 20% of the floor receives around 80% of the traffic with turning circles being subjected to the heaviest wear – these areas may require some localised touching up within the anticipated life expectancy of the coating whilst other areas will exceed these indicative lifespans.

      Regards,
      David

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