Volatile Free

While VFI focuses heavily on our for projects, we also manufacture a line of compounds to prevent damage to .

These materials are offering quick cure times and easy application via a dual cartridge static mix gun or low-pressure machine pump.

In addition to our joint fillers, we also have a repair material that works well with any of our joint fillers.

The can be used for filling cracks, patching spalled areas, or resurfacing broken concrete.

If you’re interested in learning more about these materials, visit the website: https://volatilefree.com/application/joint-filler/

All materials experience a certain amount of shrinkage due to the exothermic reaction they generate to cure.

Most only encounter a .15% linear shrinkage because they are designed to limit shrinkage to meet tight tolerances.

However, there are cases where your part is shrinking more than this, which ruins the quality and dimensional stability.

Typical reasons this occurs in urethane plastic and are:

1. Casting size and wall thickness
2. Temperature
3. Tooling material used
4. Adding incompatible materials

If you want to learn about how you can plan for shrinkage, check out VFI’s tech piece: https://volatilefree.com/why-is-my-urethane-plastic-part-shrinking/

If you have any immediate questions or concerns, call (800) 307-9218.

This weekend is the Architectural Precast Association (APA) Annual Convention, and our expert Dana Gustafson will be showcasing our products at one of the tabletop displays.

If you’re heading down to St. Petersburg, Florida this weekend, feel free to stop by for a discussion on , , and form coatings for various projects.

If you’re not in the area, we can also connect you with one of our experts through the main line at (800) 307-9218 to answer all your questions and guide you to the right product, whether you need a pourable, sprayable, or brushable material.

If you have forms made of foam, metal, or wood that you’d like to extend the life of due to abrasive , VFI has the answer for you.

VFI-4386 Form Coating Epoxy is a high-end material that protects these surfaces and creates a level surface for consistent .

It also allows for easy application in minimal passes and limits sagging and dripping on vertical surfaces if needed.

Epoxy-based coatings are a great alternative to urethane materials if moisture is an issue. It’s also a great alternative if spraying is an issue, as it's applied via roller.

If you’d like to learn more, reach out to VFI through our website or by contacting (800) 307-9218. We’ll get you connected with a designated rep to answer all your questions.

With such a vast catalog of products for and , it can be a bit daunting to determine which VFI product will work best for your project.

The main groups of products VFI manufacturers are:

- Brushable hard coats
- Cartridge-based hard coats
- High-pressure hard coats

Which product you need will be dependent on your equipment needs and the type of project you are working on.

Brushables are great for small projects or repairs on other .

Cartridge-based materials are a step-up and allow fabricators to get into the universe of spraying without high equipment costs.

High-pressure hard coats are the best option for large jobs and consistent spraying due to high equipment costs and equipment maintenance.

If you’d like to learn more about VFI’s products, visit the website here: https://volatilefree.com/industries/theming/

Or contact our main line, (800) 307-9218, to be contacted by a rep directly.

There is an abundance of and polyurea on the market, so it’s easy to get lost in which product is right for you.

An easy way to navigate through products is by looking at their properties.

Depending on your unique project, you’ll likely want to view the following physical properties:

- Shore hardness
- Tensile strength
- Elongation
- Tear strength
- Water absorption or permeance
- Adhesion strength

These properties provide insight into the durability and longevity of the polyurea or hybrid.

Liquid properties that might be important to take a look at include:

- Solids by volume
- Mix ratio by volume
- Viscosity
- Gel time
- Recoat time
- Place into service
- Full cure

These properties provide insight into workability and processing when using the material.

If you’d like to learn more about what each of these properties means for your project, visit
VFI’s blog: https://volatilefree.com/understanding-the-properties-of-polyurea-and-hybrid-coatings/

Or, you can speak to one of our experts by calling (800) 307-9218.

To prepare before the cold weather hits, we wanted to preemptively discuss shrinkage.

has dimensional stability at consistent room temperatures (77°F), but if it is used in a much colder environment, you might run into temporary shrinkage problems.

This can become an issue if you need to produce consistent pieces that are the same size after every .

The way this can be avoided is by the rubber onto a rigid backing material like wood. This allows it to grip onto the surface and resist shrinking.

For more information on avoiding shrinkage in your and , check out our tech piece: https://volatilefree.com/why-is-my-urethane-rubber-mold-shrinking/

VFI products have the potential to be used in an abundance of applications.

A unique application for some of our spray and products is .

While many furniture manufacturers are using thermoplastics like PVC or MDF laminates, we have alternative options that may be more durable, including:

- Casting Rubbers, which are used in an injection molding system and produce flexible edges for indoor tables that need decent impact resistance.
- High-pressure hybrid spray coating, which uses high-pressure equipment to spray directly onto table edges for seamless protection on indoor and outdoor projects.
- High-pressure aliphatic polyurea coating, which is used similarly to our hybrid coating but offers UV stability, low moisture sensitivity, and good chemical resistance.

While this isn’t the most common application, it showcases one of the many projects you can use VFI and products for.

Your only limit is your imagination.

Contact VFI today if you have any questions about these materials or other products that can fit the needs of your next part-making project.

Check out Steve Morrone from Imagine Factory's latest install for a South Carolina pediatric office. He used VFI-6171 70 D Qwik Spray Hard Coat, our cartridge-based hard coat option, to protect some of his theming elements for this project. Go give him some love, and reach out if you'd like more information on VFI materials.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DbizDokkRkW/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&stkn=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Just returned from another successful install in Columbia, SC. I’ve been asked why I travel so far to complete Pediatric Dental Office Theming projects…10 years strong with Valleygate Surgery Centers of North and now South Carolina. We appreciate them very much. Thank you for the continuing projects. 🙏 #pediatricdentistry #interiordesign #custom #makers #murals

If you’re working with EPS or a different foam for a project that will be displayed where people will touch it, or kids might climb on it, you’re going to want something to protect it long-term.

While many projects use that range between 60-70 D in hardness, there is a more impact-resistant alternative.

VFI has a complete line of impact-resistant ranging from 75 A to 60 D in hardness. These materials handle physical wear and tear without cracking.

They can also be used on surfaces other than foam, including wood and metal. With brushable, cartridge-based, and high-pressure options, we have a formula for everyone.

If you’re curious to learn more, check out the spec sheet below or visit our website to browse through all our products.