Polyurethane coating helps art stand up to tough critics
Canadian Plastics
It's one thing to protect a work of art in the controlled environment of a museum. It's another when the art is on outdoor display on a resort beach. And it's harder still when the sand itself forms t...
It’s one thing to protect a work of art in the controlled environment of a museum. It’s another when the art is on outdoor display on a resort beach. And it’s harder still when the sand itself forms the artwork.
When the European Union staged an art exhibit along the Belgian coast of the North Sea, sculptor Santiago DeWaele used lightweight Styrofoam to create a huge sand sculpture on one beach in the town of Oostende. He also turned to Chemthane 7000, a spray-applied two-component polyurethane coating, to provide a layer of protection to the object.
Designed to provide long term durability and high impact resistance, Chemthane 7000 forms a hard, chemical, moisture and fire retardant shell when spray-applied directly over the Styrofoam. The material dries to the touch within 10 seconds, and adds almost no extra weight to the substrate when cured.
“After several months of constant exposure to sand abrasion, wind, rain and the activity of playful children, Chemline 7000 did not crack, dent or crumble,” said DeWaele. Chemline Inc. (St. Louis, Mo.); www.chemline.net; 314-664-2230
