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EC-2000

PRODUCT TYPE

100% second generation acrylic coating. A surface curing,elastomeric coating for masonry walls with outstanding crackbridging properties.

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Deteriorated masonry walls have always represented one ofthe most difficult maintenance challenges for the contractor.In more resent times, the use of light weight building blocksin single skin building construction has added a similarmaintenance challenge where hard low-flex texture finishes,used to create a rendered appearance, crack with any amountof substrate movement.

The purpose of rehabilitating external building facades is to restore them to their original lustreand, most importantly, stop and offer long-term protection against the passage of destructivewater and environmental gases into and through the substrate. Until now, conventional paintsand many coatings that claim elastomeric performance have been used as a method for restoringmasonry walls, both of which over time have exhibited serious draw backs in one or more of thekey performance qualities required for the long term protection of a masonry wall.

TECHNICAL BULLETIN[ ]

100% ACRYLIC COATING WITH OUTSTANDING CRACK BRIDGINGPROPERTIES

ASTEC ELASTOMERIC COATINGS

The most important performance properties for truly durableelastomeric wall coatings are:

• Flexibility over a broad range of temperatures• Resistance to dirt pick-up and hydrolysis• Ultraviolet stability.

Astec Paints are a 100% Australian owned company committed to theresearch and development of technologically advanced coatings that providepremium durability against our harsh Australian conditions. Our coatingsare manufactured with high regard for worker safety and environmental careand will provide you with absolute confidence in long term performance.

1.1 Balboa Apartments, Cairns.

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ASTEC ELASTOMERIC WALL COATINGS

EC-2000

Although these performance requirements are wellestablished as officially recognised bench marks to formulatehigh standard resilience in these coatings, technologicallimitations commonly result in the need to compromise one ormore of their performance requirements to achieve absolutesuccess in another. These design limitations have often beenexperienced by applicators and have led to a great deal ofconfusion when questioning why their projects have sufferedfrom serious long-term performance drawbacks such aspremature dirt retention, chalking, cracking and, in manycases, peeling off the substrate.

In response to discovering the cause of these detrimentaleffects to many elastomeric coatings the answer is inherentat initial design stage where the lack of knowledge andunavailability of the necessary technology has resulted insub-standard coatings. Some of these problems are outlinedbelow:

→ 1Coatings designed to maintain good resistance to dirt pick-uphave had to be harder films, requiring a compromise in theirflexibility and when they are applied to unstable substratessuch as concrete the material will eventually crack through its

inability to tolerate dimensional fluctuations in the underlying substrate. The coating wouldmaintain a clean film but often delaminate from the substrate through its compromise inelasticity.

→ 2Coatings that claimed the required flexibility to accomodate substrate movement did so but at theexpense of its dirt resistance properties. For many years acrylics have required the addition ofexternal plasticisers to enhance a reasonably effective level of elasticity. However, theseplasticisers limit the coatings performance by migrating from the interior of the coating film to thesurface, causing dirt from the air to stick to the film detracting from the coatings appearance and

TECHNICAL BULLETIN[ ]

R & D

durability. Moreover, they will eventually migrate out of thefilm entirely, thus the coating will return to its rigid, inelasticstate making it no longer able to accomodate any substratemovement. A degree of elasticity would be achieved butwould require a compromise in dirt resistance to do so.

Through persistant dedication to technologically improvingwaterproofing and protective systems, the Research andDevelopment Team at Astec Paints Laboratories havedeveloped a new 100% acrylic elastomeric coating system.We call it Astec EC Technology.

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ASTEC ELASTOMERIC COATINGS

EC-2000

Together these coating formulations impart the necessary qualities to be able to:

• Bridge Cracks Easily • Resist Dirt Pick-up• Resist Hydrolysis • Adhere Well to Substrates• Chalk Less • Deliver Superior Low Temperature Flexibility and Recovery

DURABILITY Since the advent of Plexiglass® acrylic plastic sheet, in WorldWar II, acrylics have been known for their exceptionaldurability, offering unequalled resistance to yellowing andchalking from degradation by sunlight and ambient moisturein alkaline environments. Astec EC-2000 is the result of these100% acrylics being further developed by Astec ECTechnology as well as almost infinately durable ceramicextenders.

Ceramics are used in a variety of applications throughout theworld for their durability in such applications as insulatingcoatings for space craft protection and high performanceengines.

DESCRIPTION

EC-2000 is a 100% acrylic, elastomeric wall coating designedfor the long term protection, durability and aesthetics ofmasonry walls. EC-2000 exhibits outstanding exteriordurability and possesses the excellent elasticity andelongation properties necessary to bridge continually movingcracks without itself cracking or wrinkling.

EC-2000 possess the ability to bridge a forthcoming crack 4.9times its dry film thickness. 350 microns dry will accomodatea forthcoming crack of 1.75mm.

These crack bridging properties will eliminate the need forcostly, premature recoats where the general integrity of manywall coatings is sound, apart from unsightly product failuresover continually moving masonry cracks.

This new design second generation acrylic incorporates twounique chemistries:

→Surface curing and low glass transition temperatureby internal plasticisation, combined with ceramic extenders.

TECHNICAL BULLETIN[ ]

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ASTEC ELATOMERIC COATINGS

EC-2000

Ceramic Technology is the key to strong weatherability thatenables our coatings to last two to three times the life ofconventional membranes and paints.Their ability to reflectand dissipate heat protects them from chalking and thesubstrate from damaging ultra violet light. Astec’ssophisticated EC and Ceramic Technology producemembranes with superior resistance to UV degradation andmany atmospheric and industrial chemical environments.

LOW TEMPERATURE FLEXIBILITY

Membranes for dimensionally unstable masonry substratesmust have long-term low temperature flexibility. Thisflexibility is necessary to accomodate thermal expansion andcontraction of the substrate caused by rapid freeze/thawweather cycling. Many products claim elastomericperformance but do not have the main property of lowtemperature flexibility that is essential to a truly durableelastomeric wall coating.

To obtain acceptable elasticity, products that have claimedelastomeric performance have commonly required theaddition of external plasticising material during manufacture

TECHNICAL BULLETIN[ ]

to improve their flexibility, often with a detrimental effect. Typically, plasticisers only enhanceelongation over a narrow range of temperatures and one serious disadvantage is that they willcontinually migrate out of the coating film until they have gone entirely. As this leeching occurs,elongation will be reduced. In addition, if the ambient temperature steps outside of the coating’snarrow operating range on the high side the coating risks losing its recovery properties, itbecomes gummy and can flow apart from the stresses caused by dimensional fluctuations in thesubstrate. Furthermore, if the coating steps outside its operating temperature on the low side atthe inelastic glass transition state, the coating will crack with any substrate movement.

Astec EC design technology does not rely on the need forexternal plasticisers to acquire the right level of softness. Thecorrect level is inbuilt through internal plasticisation, from theground up. The coating derives elasticity from a uniquecombination of special composition, molecular weight, andcross linking. As a result they retain their flexibility overextended periods of time, over a broader range oftemperatures, contracting and expanding over continuallymoving substrates without plastic flow (wrinkling) at hightemperatures or cracking through glass transition at lowtemperatures.

DURABILITY

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ASTEC ELASTOMERIC COATINGS

EC-2000

TECHNICAL BULLETIN[ ]

EC-2000’s unique low temperature chemistry ensures thatthe system will not fail over an extended period of time underextreme weather conditions and will resist the effects ofharsh freeze/thaw cycling to temperatures as low as -20°C,hence ensuring crack-free adhesion to the substrate. Inaddition, EC-2000 will ‘breathe’, preventing moistureaccumulation in the walls. Moisture is the common cause ofblistering and cohesive adhesion failure of paints and actswith explosive effects to the masonry.

SUPERIOR DIRT PICK-UP RESISTANCE

The analysis of Low Temperature flexibility highlighted thedisadvantages when using external plasticisers to achieve acoatings elasticity. A further disadvantage to their use isdemonstrated in this analysis as the plasticisers migrate tothe surface of the coating film they have a detrimental effecton the coatings dirt resistance properties. Dirt tends to form astrong adhesion to the coating, detracting from its overallappearance, durability and flexibility.

LOW TEMP. FLEX.

Astec EC design formulations require no external plasticisation to achieve flexibility and thereforedo not have the dirt retention problems inherent in other externally plasticised coatings.

Astec’s new EC Design Technology employs the chemistry of Surface Curing to ensure quality dirtresistance properties. Surface Curing Chemistry has enabled the manufacture of softmembranes with excellent elongation and elastic recovery without the disadvantage of dirtretention normally associated with this style of coating.

Surface Curing Chemistry hardens only the very thin layer on top of the coating film todramatically improve dirt pick-up resistance. This process is activated by sunlight and in full sunthis takes about two hours or, in shady conditions, up to two weeks.The coating will rapid dry like

a normal acrylic, however, until the process of surface cureis complete the surface may seem tacky. The activatingwavelength for this phenomenon is not purely in the UVband, the actual chemistry is proprietary information.

The surface of EC-2000 will cross link to give a high level ofresistance to dirt pick-up. Unlike many coatings withexceptional elongation, EC-2000 offers the dirt pick-upresistance of a hard, less flexible paint while at the same timeoffering the functional properties necessary forwaterproofing.

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ASTEC ELASTOMERIC COATINGS

EC-2000

EC-2000 not only maintains its attractive appearance fromour unique dirt resistant chemistry but further through theincorporation of tropics proven algisides, which keep thecoating free of unsightly mould and fungal spoilage.

PRINCIPAL USE

Precast, trowel finish and all block masonry walls.

PREPARATION

All surfaces must be clean, dry, free from surfacecontaminents and structurally sound. Surface preparationmay be carried out using high pressure water cleaning, powerbuffing or scraping. Mould and fungus infested walls shouldhave Sodium Hypochlorite solutions applied to the substrateprior to pressure washing as this process will kill any mouldand assist in their removal. Any structural cracks should besaw cut and struck smooth with a cementious or low shrinkgrouting compound. With the surface clean and structurallysound, apply two coats of Astec Barrier and allow to dry priorto the application of any top coats or sealers. Astec Barrierwill retard any under film mould spoilage.

→Wherever severe carbonation of the concrete substrate hasoccured, exposing the corroded metal reinforcement, consultyour Astec Paints Representative for technical details on thecorrect remedial action. Prior to top-coat application over anyremaining paints, especially gloss paints, or where thesurface is friable from carbonation, a test patch with EC-2000should be carried out. This will determine whether adhesionto the substrate can be achieved. Where adhesion failure isimminent, consult your Astec Paints Representative for asuitable sealer/binder. Performing a test patch will ensure theelimination of any project failures. EC-2000 will take up to 21days to display its full adhesion properites, especially whenusing white.

TECHNICAL BULLETIN[ ]

DIRT PICK-UP RESIST

1.2 Maslins Beach, Fleurieu Peninsula.

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ASTEC ELASTOMERIC COATINGS

EC-2000

TECHNICAL BULLETIN[ ]

APPLICATION

Apply straight from the drum by brush roller or spray. Applytwo coats of EC-2000 and allow the product to dry betweencoats, usually 4 hours. For roller application use a medium todeep nap roller. Spray application requires a 518 to 521 tip.Avoid contact with skin and eyes. Always use a respiratorduring spray applications.

NOTE: EC-2000 IS A WATER BASED MATERIAL, THEREFORE SHOULD NOT BE

APPLIED DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER OR WHEN PRECIPITATION AND

FREEZING ARE IMMINENT.

This combination of low PVC andhigh volume solids is difficult to

achieve with conventionalexternally plasticised systems.

No syneresis, settling or viscositychange greater than 10%.

No dirt pick-up, chalking or otherforms of degradation after one year.

EC-2000 SPECIFICATIONS

PHYSICAL PROPERPHYSICAL PROPERPHYSICAL PROPERPHYSICAL PROPERPHYSICAL PROPERTIESTIESTIESTIESTIES RESULRESULRESULRESULRESULTSTSTSTSTS COMMENTSCOMMENTSCOMMENTSCOMMENTSCOMMENTS

Density @ 25°C 1.354 kg/lPigment volume concentration 32.315%Solids by Volume 50.241%Solids by Mass 62.822%

Heat - Aged Stability Excellent(10 days/60°C)

A P P E A R A N C EA P P E A R A N C EA P P E A R A N C EA P P E A R A N C EA P P E A R A N C E

GLOSS LOW SHEEN20/60/85% Sheen 44.7/70.5/90.4 4.3/9.4/7.7Rapid dirt pick-up resistance ExcellentNatural Exposure:

North Vertical ExcellentNorth 45° ExcellentNorth 5° Excellent

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ASTEC ELASTOMERIC COATINGS

EC-2000

TECHNICAL BULLETIN[ ]

EC-2000 SPECIFICATIONS

WWWWWAAAAATER RESISTTER RESISTTER RESISTTER RESISTTER RESISTANCEANCEANCEANCEANCE R E S U LR E S U LR E S U LR E S U LR E S U LT ST ST ST ST S C O M M E N T SC O M M E N T SC O M M E N T SC O M M E N T SC O M M E N T S

Swelling (%) 8.8

Moisture Vapour 156Transmission Rate (perms) (42.7g/m²/24hrs)

RESISTRESISTRESISTRESISTRESISTANCE TANCE TANCE TANCE TANCE TO CARBON DIOO CARBON DIOO CARBON DIOO CARBON DIOO CARBON DIOXIDE PERMEABILITYXIDE PERMEABILITYXIDE PERMEABILITYXIDE PERMEABILITYXIDE PERMEABILITY

Air Equivalent (meters) 65Concrete Equivalent (cm) 16

MECHANICAL PROPERMECHANICAL PROPERMECHANICAL PROPERMECHANICAL PROPERMECHANICAL PROPERTIESTIESTIESTIESTIES

Low Temperature Flexibility Excellent

Tensile Strength (kg/cm²) 40°C →32.925°C →36.10°C →76.2-10°C →109

Elongation (%) 40°C →37225°C →3590°C →193-10°C →130

Crack Bridging Ability @ 25°C 4.9

Swelling peaks in less than 24hours; many commercial systems

are ‘infinite swellers’.Low MVTR figures can cause

problems on masonry substrates.

‘Standard’ recommendationminimum figures are 50m and

12.5cm for air and concreterespectively.

No cracking over a 3mm mandrelbend at 23°C, at 0°C and at -18°C

These elongation figures areoutstanding for the temperature

range. Recovery is 98% in allcases.

EC-2000 will bridge aforthcoming crack, 4.9 times

its dry film thickness.

1.3 Boganvillia Apartments, Gold Coast.

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ASTEC ELASTOMERIC COATINGS

EC-2000

TECHNICAL BULLETIN[ ]

Square metres/litre = 623.4Dry Film Thickness (microns)

Wet Film Build = Dry Film Thickness (microns)0.6234

PERFORMANCE GRAPH

1.4 EC-2000 crack bridging performance.

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ASTEC ELASTOMERIC COATINGS

EC-2000

TECHNICAL BULLETIN[ ]

OVERVIEW

The collective advantages provided by Astec’s new EC DesignTechnologies which incorporate low glass transitiontemperature and surface curing chemistries, translates tosuperior durability in both protective and decorative terms.EC-2000 will retain its elasticity, does not yellow or pick updirt readily, and will maintain an aesthetically pleasingappearance far longer than other conventional systems. Withthe current cost of labour being extremely high, EC-2000 willextend the life of your project minimising the need formaintainence work in the short term. EC-2000 represents aquality application investment to both builders and homeowners alike.

Benefits

→Outstanding exterior durability, excellent elastic recoveryand resiliance.

→Maintains an attractive appearance, while offering thefunctional properties of a waterproofing system.

→Permanently flexible and avoids the use of externalplasticisers which promote dirt pick-up.

→The coating will maintain its flexibility across a broadtemperature range eliminating low temperature cracking.

→Excellent crack bridging ability on continually movingcracks. Easy to apply.

→Simplifies handling and clean up.

Features· 100% Acrylic Composition

· Dirt Resistance Chemistry

· Internal Plasticisation

· Low Temperature Flexibility [to -21°C]

· High Build Elastomeric Design

· Waterbased

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ASTEC EC-2000

In all external wall applications both low tem-perature flexibility and resistance to dirt pick-upare extremely important to long term durability.

Place this sample in your freezer for ten minutesand you will experience superior low tempera-ture flexibility down to -21°C.

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Colour White, may be tinted

Gloss Level Gloss OR Low Sheen

Drying Time @ 25°C 30 mins

Recoat Time @ 25°C 4 hours

Recommended Thinners Water

Recommended DFT 350 microns dry

Theoretical Spread Rate 2.5m² per litre

PRODUCT DATA

[ec-2000

[@ 350 microns dry]

EC-2000

[including two coats]

EC-2000 SAMPLE

Astec Paints Australasia Pty. Ltd.22-24 Pinn Street, St. Marys,South Australia 5042PO Box 321, Melrose Park, S.A. 5039

Web: www.astecpaints.com.auEmail: enquiries@astecpaints.com.au

Telephone: +61 8 8297 2000Facsimile: +61 8 8297 2555

Your nearest Astec Paints distributor is:

Revised Edition October, 2019

Astec Paints Resellers;

Australia WideFor a complete list of resellers,

please visit the Contact Page

of our website:

www.astecpaints.com.au/contact

OverseasPlease contact Head Office.

The technical data furnished herein is basedupon data believed by Astec Paints to be true andaccurate at the time of writing, however, noguarantee of accuracy is given or implied and issubject to change without notice.

This information is given in good faith for theassistance of users. No legal warranty expressedor implied is made as to its accuracy,completeness or otherwise.

Every person dealing with this material hereindoes so at their own risk absolutely and mustmake independent determinations of suitabilityand completeness from all sources to ensuretheir proper use.

We have no control over the condition underwhich these products are stored, handled orused, therefore our recommendations must notbe regarded as a mounting to legal warranty oras involving any liability on us.