Floor coverings

Wai-kwok Wan <waikkwan<-a t->asiaonline< . >net> writes

> I should be grateful if anyone out there would comment on the
> following statement which was made by our contractor in response to
> our expressed concern about the ingredients/chemicals contained in
> the Nitoflor SL2000 FG (floor topping) used in our new archives
> repository:
>
>     "...Nitoflor FL2000 FG is a solvent-free epoxy resin based floor
>     topping. It does not release any solvent or any appreciable
>     quantity of vapours during application and curing. However, to
>     prevent the SL2000 filler getting into the air-condition system,
>     we recommend mixing the material outside the records storage
>     area..."

Although I am not familiar with Nitoflor epoxy I have worked with
other epoxies and fillers.  Fillers are inert substances that are
mixed into epoxy to modify the consistancy.  Cabosil, one type of
filler, has the consistency of snowflakes while microspheres are (of
course) tiny hollow spheres.  They are *extremely* light, and
working with them can be like trying to stir a bag of feathers into
syrup.

The fillers themselves are not chemically harmful, but if they were
to get into the air-condition system large quantities of fine
particulates could enter the air stream and pose problems for the
filtration system. I hope this is helpful,

Eliza Gilligan

                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 11:20
                 Distributed: Thursday, August 28, 1997
                       Message Id: cdl-11-20-011
                                  ***