Advancing water-based coatings for concrete: Designing high-performance acrylic polymers

Designing effective water-based coatings to protect and enhance concrete surfaces presents unique challenges. Concrete’s variable composition influences surface porosity and permeability, which in turn affects coating adhesion and durability. While solvent-based resin technologies offer deep penetration and the desirable “wet look,” and two-component systems like epoxies and polyurethanes deliver exceptional toughness, both come with significant handling and application drawbacks.

This webinar explores how modern acrylic polymer design strategies can overcome these limitations with high-performance, single-component, water-based solutions. We will examine key polymer characteristics—such as hydrophobicity, hardness, crosslinking mechanisms, and latex particle size—and their impact on coating performance. Attendees will gain insights into how these attributes contribute to superior outcomes in water-based concrete sealers and paints, particularly in achieving enhanced hardness, chemical resistance, and resistance to hot tire pickup. Real-world formulation examples featuring higher Tg, self-crosslinking acrylics demonstrate how one-component systems can deliver the performance traditionally expected from more complex coating technologies—all while meeting low-VOC regulatory requirements.