With so many epoxy, latex, polyurethane, polyaspartic and other type coatings  in the market; selecting the appropriate coating to meet your project needs can be challenging.  In deciding between a single part or two part coating it is useful to have a basic understanding of curing mechanisms, coating types, and selection protocols to narrow the choices.   

Figure 1: Durometer Chart

There are several methods for testing the hardness of a coating. One common test method used in both field and lab settings is ASTM D2240 – Durometer Hardness. According to ASTM International, Durometer Hardness determines indentation hardness of substances classified as thermoplastic elastomers, vulcanized (thermoset) rubber, elastomeric materials, cellular materials, gel-like materials, and some plastics.