Among sealants, epoxy resin is valued for its durability and effectiveness, boasting a glasslike finish and robust physical strength. Over the past few decades, its come into favor as a desirable option for finishing fixtures and furniture due to its inherent beauty and low maintenance needs.

However, its physical resilience is just one facet of its protective qualities, as epoxy is also chemically resistant, an essential attribute for any sealant used in environments like bar tops, countertops, or table tops. These surfaces often encounter moisture, humidity, and various chemicals, including substances like grease and oil.

In this article, we'll explore five categories of chemicals and substances that epoxy can withstand effortlessly. We'll discuss why this resistance is beneficial and provide examples of scenarios where epoxy's chemical resilience is particularly advantageous.

5 Chemical Types That Primaloc Epoxy Can Handle

Among the various chemicals that epoxy can resist, some are especially noteworthy for their presence among common epoxy applications. These kinds of chemicals are more likely to be encountered in settings like epoxy countertops, epoxy table tops, or epoxy bar tops.

The Chemicals We'll Discuss Are:

• Acids—Epoxy finishes often come into contact with acidic substances. The good news is that epoxy is often unaffected by them.
  
  
• Solvents—Chemicals of this type are commonly used in homes and businesses as cleaning agents to remove residues and stains—though they can sometimes be found in beverages! Epoxy stands up well against these substances.
  
  
• Grease/Oil—These substances are seen most in kitchens, a frequent site of food preparation, where epoxy-coated surfaces can be found.
  
  
• Salts—This category includes more than just table salt; it encompasses various chemical compounds that can be harmful to many materials—just not epoxy, which resists damage from salts effectively.
  
  
• Household Chemicals—From cleaners to detergents, epoxy is highly resistant to a wide array of chemicals typically found in household environments.

Below, we'll take a closer look at each of these.

Chemical Type #1: Acids

Though epoxy's uses are wide-ranging, it's best known for conventional projects such as countertops and table tops. These types of fixtures/furniture happen to be where most food is prepared and consumed, and in turn where various acids are often present.

With epoxy, though, these types of acids are not so much a problem.

Many Foods Have Acid

One acid commonly found in kitchen or tabletop settings is citric acid, which is present in fruits like lemons, limes, and grapefruits. Though these acids are potent enough to even damage tooth enamel, they pose little threat to epoxy resin.

Similarly, coffee and tea contain tannins that can stain various surfaces like wood, fabrics, and natural stones like marble and granite—even teeth. However, these substances are easily managed on epoxy surfaces, which can be cleaned effortlessly as long as the epoxy is in good condition.

Acetic acid is another common kitchen acid which can be found as a small portion of vinegar. In this state, it's much less potent and safe for human skin. Although prolonged exposure to even diluted acetic acid can deteriorate many materials, epoxy resin's hefty resistance means that it would take significantly longer for any damage to occur.

Chemical Type #2: Solvents

Solvents are generally used for cleaning counters, tables, windows, and similar surfaces. However, they must be handled carefully because the wrong solvent can cause damage when applied to unsuitable materials.

While epoxy is not completely immune to solvents, it does offer strong resistance to many common solvents that can damage less resilient finishes. These solvents include:

Acetone

Acetone is a potent solvent often found in products like nail polish remover and heavy-duty cleaners. It can harm materials such as wood, granite, marble, and even epoxy.

However, where epoxy stands out is in its ability to withstand these chemicals for longer, allowing users to address spills and clean them up effectively. This is in contrast to other sealants, which may allow the solvent to immediately penetrate and cause rapid damage.

Window Cleaners

Window cleaners are typically safe for cleaning epoxy surfaces. Although they do contain mild chemicals, such as ammonia, these are only cause for concern with less resilient materials and are generally harmless to high-quality epoxy.

Bleach

Bleach is a strong solvent and should generally be avoided on epoxy surfaces. Nonetheless, if bleach is accidentally spilled, an epoxy finish is more likely to withstand such exposure long enough for the spill to be cleaned up before it can cause more serious damage.

Chemical Type #3: Grease and Oil

Oil and grease may not be the most damaging substances, but they can certainly lead to displeasing cosmetic issues. Cooking oils, grease from meats, fatty residues from butter or margarine, and remnants from lotions, hair sprays, and similar products can all contribute to this problem.

Most sealants for countertop surfaces are designed to protect against these types of residues. However, many sealants need frequent reapplication and are vulnerable to damage from various solvents and chemicals, which can lead to gaps in their protective coatings. This is when oils and greases can penetrate and stain an otherwise pristine surface.

Epoxy resin, on the other hand, is exceptionally durable. It does not easily break down and is rarely damaged in such a way that would allow substances to permeate and stain the substrate underneath. Moreover, because epoxy resin creates a very smooth surface, it makes cleaning up messes, including oils and greases from food preparation and consumption, remarkably easy.

Chemical Type #4: Salts

Chemical compounds known as "salts,"—including well-known table salt—encompass a variety of substances, many of which can cause significant damage such as wood rot or metal corrosion.

Epoxy resin, along with many other plastics, exhibits strong resistance to these salt compounds. In fact, its effectiveness is so notable that a marine-specific variants of epoxy exist for use in finishing watercraft that tend ot be exposed to high salinity environments like saltwater lakes and oceans.

While epoxy is not unique in its ability to resist salts, it is the combination of its impressive physical strength, clear visual appearance, and strong chemical resistance that makes it particularly suitable for use in corrosive environments.

Chemical Type #5: Household Chemicals

The final category encompasses a variety of household chemicals, including:

• Cleaning Agents—This category includes multi-surface cleaners and disinfectants commonly used on various surfaces.
• Dish Soap—Often used for handwashing dishes or cleaning countertops.
• Bleach—Although not a daily cleaner, diluted bleach solutions are sometimes used for disinfecting and removing stains from countertops and tabletops.
• Vinegar—Occasionally used as a natural cleaning agent, vinegar frequently comes into contact with epoxy surfaces during both cleaning and cooking activities.
• Alcohol—Isopropyl or ethyl alcohol can be used for disinfecting surfaces or cleaning tough stains.

These substances interact with epoxy in different ways, but generally, they serve as effective cleaning agents. Alcohol and disinfectants are safe for use on epoxy surfaces to sanitize them, while diluted bleach solutions can also be used to maintain the cleanliness of epoxy finishes.

Read up on epoxy surface cleaning and maintenance in our FAQs article!

Bonus Type: Water

Most people may not think of water as a chemical. Yet not only is water a solvent; it also serves as an excellent carrier for various damaging substances and chemicals. Additionally, water tends to evaporate quickly in warm environments, depositing any impurities it carried as unsightly residues. This can pose a problem for porous or easily stained materials like wood, granite, and marble—popular choices for countertops and tabletops.

Epoxy, however, is waterproof, providing an exceptional impermeable barrier that protects any underlying material with a layer of crystal-clear defense.

Primaloc Epoxy: Premium Epoxy for Premium Results

With our premium Bar & Table Top Epoxy and our Deep Pour Epoxy, Primaloc gets the job done. Our epoxy resins are premium-grade, with high performance in every category, including:

• Unmatched Strength: A Primaloc finish won't buckle, even under high pressure.
• Long-Lasting Resilience: Primaloc epoxy lasts for many years with minimal care, and can endure high-traffic environments with ease.
• A Crystal-Clear Coating: With its pristine, transparent appearance, looking at a cured Primaloc coating is like peering through a window.

Epoxy resin can be beautiful, strong, and long-lasting—which is why you shouldn't compromise on quality. With Primaloc Epoxy Resin, you get the ultimate finish in durability and visual appeal.

Protect your surfaces by giving them a rock-solid epoxy finish. Choose strong. Choose reliable. Choose Primaloc.