About Fosroc Nitoflor Lithurin 2

Nitoflor Lithurin 2 is Fosroc’s penetrating, chemical-reaction floor hardener and dustproofer, part of the wider Nitoflor industrial flooring range. Unlike epoxy or PU systems that build a protective film on top of the slab, Lithurin 2 works inside the concrete itself. It is a clear liquid based on sodium silicate that is diluted with water and flooded onto the surface. As it soaks in, the silicate reacts with the free lime (calcium hydroxide) left over from cement hydration, forming insoluble calcium silicate hydrate inside the pores. The result is a denser, harder, more closely knit top layer that resists wear and no longer releases fine cement dust. For Indian contractors and facility owners, this matters because a large share of warehouse, factory and parking-deck floors are simply power-floated or trowelled concrete that was never sealed. Within months these floors begin to abrade under forklift wheels and foot traffic, throwing up a persistent grey dust that contaminates stored goods, clogs machinery and is unpleasant to work in. Lithurin 2 is the classic, economical remedy: it is applied with nothing more specialised than a soft broom or brush, needs no primer and no power equipment, and leaves the floor with its natural matte appearance rather than a glossy coating that can later peel or blister. It suits both new slabs, which must be allowed to cure for at least 14 days first, and old floors that are sound but dusting. Because it is a reactive silicate treatment rather than a film, it cannot hide cracks, level undulations or give a decorative colour finish, and it does not deliver the heavy-duty chemical and impact protection of an epoxy screed or a polyurethane system. What it does, it does cheaply and durably, which is why it remains a staple specification for large-area industrial slabs where the priority is simply to stop the floor breaking down and dusting. Space Arc Engineering supplies and applies Nitoflor Lithurin 2 as an authorised Fosroc distributor and applicator, advising on whether a silicate hardener alone is sufficient or whether the floor warrants a fuller Nitoflor coating system.

The technical insight

The performance of Lithurin 2 hinges on a real chemical reaction, not on forming a barrier coat, and this drives every application rule. The active sodium silicate must reach and react with free calcium hydroxide in the concrete, so coverage and number of coats are deliberately tied to surface density. Fosroc’s own figures show this clearly: a smooth trowelled floor takes three coats at about 5.0 m2 per litre, a moderately dense floor two coats at 7.5 m2 per litre, while very dense surfaces such as granolithic toppings, power-floated or vacuum-dewatered concrete often need only a single coat at 10.0 m2 per litre because there is less open pore structure to fill. Each coat is the diluted 1:3 mix flooded on at roughly 1 litre to 10 m2 and allowed to soak for up to two hours. The single most important on-site discipline is removing any solution that has not been absorbed within that window. If excess silicate is left to dry on the surface it forms a thin, weak, glossy film that looks like a finish but is brittle and can flake, defeating the purpose of the treatment. New concrete must cure a minimum of 14 days so that enough hydration has occurred and surface moisture has dropped, and the floor must be genuinely dry at the time of each application. The product is alkaline, so eye and skin protection are essential, but it is non-flammable, water-borne and low odour, which makes it practical for occupied or enclosed industrial spaces where solvent coatings would be a problem.

Where it is used

• Hardening and dustproofing of new power-floated or trowelled concrete warehouse and factory floors
• Rehabilitating old, sound concrete slabs that have begun to abrade and shed cement dust
• Light-engineering and assembly workshops where dust would contaminate products or machinery
• Distribution and logistics warehouses subject to continuous forklift and pallet-truck traffic
• Multi-level and basement car parks and parking decks on plain concrete
• Dairies, milk parlours, abattoirs and food-handling areas needing a cleanable, low-dust floor
• Densifying concrete surfaces of silos, storage tanks, reservoirs, dams and flues
• Granolithic toppings requiring a single-coat surface hardener

Key advantages

• Chemically hardens and densifies the concrete itself rather than relying on a surface film that can peel or blister
• Eliminates persistent cement dusting from within the treated layer
• Improves abrasion and wear resistance under traffic
• Reduces chemical attack from oils and greases on the floor
• Very economical, low cost per square metre compared with epoxy or PU systems
• Simple to apply with a soft broom or brush, needing no primer, special equipment or skilled labour
• Water-borne, non-flammable and low odour, suitable for occupied and enclosed spaces
• Retains the floor’s natural matte, non-slip appearance

Limitations & considerations

• Forms no protective film, so it cannot bridge cracks, level undulations or provide a decorative or coloured finish
• Offers only mild chemical resistance, not the broad resistance of an epoxy or polyurethane system
• Will not withstand aggressive acids, strong solvents or heavy chemical spillage
• Needs sound, cured concrete, with new slabs cured at least 14 days and the surface dry before each coat
• Surplus solution must be removed within about two hours or a weak, glossy, flaky film can form
• Effectiveness depends on the slab having enough porosity and free lime to react, so very old, carbonated or already-sealed floors respond poorly
• Does not provide the impact resistance or thickness of a heavy-duty screed for harsh industrial loading

Selection & best practice

Specifications

Industry use cases

How we position Fosroc Nitoflor Lithurin 2

Nitoflor Lithurin 2 sits at the entry level of Fosroc’s industrial flooring range as the economical, reactive silicate hardener for plain concrete. It is the natural choice when the only requirements are to stop dusting and modestly improve wear resistance over very large areas. Within the Nitoflor family it is closely related to the other liquid hardeners such as Nitoflor Lithurin and the water-based Nitoflor Lithurin M; where a tougher, decorative or chemical-resistant surface is needed, the slab should instead move up to a Nitoflor epoxy self-levelling or screed system, or a Nitoflor PU/cementitious-urethane floor for thermal-shock and aggressive-chemical duty. Against competitors, Lithurin 2 is comparable to penetrating densifiers and hardeners in other ranges, while for film-forming protection the credible alternatives are Sika’s Sikafloor epoxy and PU systems and MBCC/Master Builders Solutions MasterTop coatings and Ucrete polyurethane-concrete floors. Honestly positioned, Lithurin 2 is not a substitute for those resin systems; it is the low-cost first step that keeps a bare industrial slab serviceable, and Space Arc Engineering will recommend stepping up to a full coating only where the duty genuinely calls for it.

Related Fosroc Industrial Flooring products

View all Industrial Flooring products →