One key question we get asked a lot is 'Why is controlled surface temperature important?'. This is a brief look into how important this is before you use any products and what happens when you apply the products at different air and surface temperatures.
The key factor behind ensuring you check and monitor the surface temperature is because it can differ significantly, and surprisingly, from the air temperature.
For example, on a bright sunny day with a 25-degree ambient air temperature, an asphalt surface that is exposed to the sunlight can see substrate temperatures rise to 40, 50 or even 60 degrees some days. When you are applying a line marking system or a surface coating, regardless of the temperature of the material before it is applied, when it comes in contact with the surface, the material itself will reflect the substrate temperature very quickly.
This difference is also noticeable in the opposite direction after sudden drops of air temperature, as the surface temperature can often remain at a couple of degrees above the air temperature.
Another consideration is the film thickness of the line marking or surface coating. The curing process for solutions with thin film thickness, such as paints, can be significantly affected on substrates with cold surface temperature. This can affect some systems to such an extent that the curing process will slow down until it stops curing altogether.
One specific product example is a two-pack epoxy system, which cures at around 8 degrees Celsius. If the temperature drops below this level, the curing process will completely stop. When the temperatures rise again, which could be in 12 hours or later, the curing process will be revived, and the product will start curing again. The challenge with this is extended cure times, which leaves areas out of action and projects taking longer than originally planned.
In conclusion, when it comes to the substrate temperature, this has a significant impact on the curing process of the materials which is being applied.
In the summertime, if the substrate temperature is too high, this can cause the system to fail as products can go powdery due to drying or curing too fast with too much heat. If the substrate temperature is too low, the curing process is significantly extended and stops entirely in some cases.
If you want to know more about how we can help you with surface temperature and which product is best for your project, get in contact at mail@meonuk.com or call us on 02392 200 606.
