Polyurea Paint Marking Material Study

Pavement markings must endure the harsh airport environment. Standard waterborne, epoxy, methacrylate, and solvent base markings require frequent repainting causing the life-cycle cost to increase significantly. An elastomer material used on highways, called polyurea, has been identified as a potential alternative to existing standard pavement marking materials.

This research effort was undertaken (1) to determine the effectiveness of the polyurea marking material for use on airport surfaces, (2) to determine if retro-reflective beads are compatible with the polyurea marking material, (3) to determine if grading or sieving the beads during application results in a better retro-reflectivity, and (4) to determine how well polyurea marking material bonds to the pavement if a seal coat is applied first.

Three manufacturers’ products were applied at two locations: the Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center and Newark Liberty International Airport. Both asphalt and concrete test surfaces were chosen. The polyurea marking material was applied at a thickness of 20 mil on each test surface. The Four types of beads applied to the polyurea marking material during the evaluation were Type I – 1.5 Index of Refraction (IOR), Type III – 1.9 IOR, Ceramic – 1.8 IOR, and Plus 9 – 1.9 IOR. During the 1-year test period, retro-reflectivity, chromaticity, pull-off strength, friction, and water recovery tests were conducted.

The results showed that:

1. Polyurea is not effective in a high-traffic area on both asphalt and concrete surfaces when using Type III beads based on retro-reflectivity. Polyurea tested on concrete with Type I beads was still effective after 6 months, based on retro-reflectivity.
2. Ceramic beads are not compatible with polyurea marking material in a high-traffic area. Plus 9 beads were found to be compatible with polyurea marking material when installed in a low-traffic area.
3. Sieving the beads does not improve the retro-reflectivity.
4. Polyurea marking material does not bond well to pavements if a seal coat is applied first.
   It is recommended that additional tests be conducted to determine if polyurea marking material using Plus 9 beads is effective in high-traffic areas.

DOT/FAA/AR-TN06-46
Author: Holly Cyrus