Linoleum commercial heterogeneous - the characteristics of the protective layer
Unfortunately, really natural linoleum, that is, made from linseed oil, in honor of which this material was named, has not been produced since 1950, when the natural raw materials were replaced by synthetic, namely - polyvinylchloride.
As a result, and linoleum commercial heterogeneous, whose characteristics differ from household properties in several details, and a homogeneous version of it have a PVC base, although they are called a natural coating.
However, in comparison with other classes of this material, commercial has advantages - high level of wear resistance, greater durability( which in homogeneous type reaches tens of years) and resistance to many types of aggressive impact.
If the household linoleum has 4-5 layers, including reinforcement with a glass cover and a protective coating, then there are two types of commercial protection. One of them, the upper one, consists of polyurethane and has a special strength, is not afraid of fire( you can not panic because of a fallen burning match or cigarette) and is stable when exposed to weak acids and alkaline solutions.
Homogeneous linoleum in the
section There is another type of commercial coating - homogeneous linoleum 5-8 mm thick and 2 meters wide. If we consider this material in cross section, it is a homogeneous structure, that is, it consists entirely of one single layer, which can sometimes be supplemented with polyurethane protection. The latter option is great for styling in the kitchen, because it is less sensitive to loads and high temperatures.
Pigmented impregnations in a vinyl coating of commercial type usually have dimensions within 1 cm2, since it was calculated that just such an area is occupied by the contaminants arising on the floor in the process of daily human activity.
Without a protective layer, a homogeneous coating has the properties that it provides the main component of PVC, which is a part of the material along with plasticizers with pigments and filler. As the last often acts lime or its analogues: kaolin or limestone.
As a result, the quality of this coating is much worse than the claimed. Such additives take place because of the high cost of polyvinyl chloride, and their presence can be recognized by the increased specific gravity of linoleum.
If you do not recognize the material in excess of the limestone filler in time, in the future it will manifest itself in the form of whitish stripes appearing as the surface is abraded. It is on them will be more deposited dirt, which will be almost impossible to wash away with cleaning agents.
Linoleum antistatic as a narrow-purpose coating
Many people, choosing a floor covering, are wondering whether a commercial linoleum is harmful, and if so, how much, when calculating with a small amount of negative properties to close their eyes - it is too tempting to have a comfortable and durable underfeet.
In the hope of not disappointing anyone, we can confidently say that the material in question on environmental safety meets all standards ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, without exception. Moreover, there are certain types of coatings that increase your safety in a certain area: anti-slip or static protectionelectricity. You can also find linoleum with the effect of sound absorption.
True, antistatic linoleum, which has a carbon filament in its structure, performs its functions only to a certain extent. This type of coverage can not provide absolute protection against accumulating static charges, as well as conventional conductive linoleum, although it has a threshold of up to 2 kV.The fact is that in these limits, statics can also do mischief, for example, by discharging only 100 V by clearing information from magnetic carriers.
Even a small spark with a power of 50 V has enough potential to ignite flammable gases, so you should take other possible measures if you need the maximum antistatic protection. As for the other safety directions, the slippage reduction of linoleum provides its embossed surface( impregnation of quartz crumb), and noise absorption due to foamed PVC.
