Fosroc Nitoflor SL3000 U ESD
Flow-applied, three-component electrostatic-dissipative cementitious polyurethane floor topping for medium-to-heavy-duty ESD-critical environments.
What is it?
A medium-to-heavy-duty, flow-applied, three-component electrostatic-dissipative (ESD) cementitious polyurethane (PU concrete) floor topping that cures to a smooth matt finish at 3-6 mm and controls static to a resistance in the region of 10^4 ohms.
Where is it used?
Electronics manufacturing and assembly areas, hospital operating theatres, and static-sensitive zones in pharmaceutical, food and dairy facilities where a seamless, chemical-resistant, static-dissipative floor is required.
Why use it?
It combines the toughness and chemical/thermal resistance of PU-cement with a built-in conductive earthing network, giving you ESD protection plus durability in a single hard-wearing, easy-to-clean system.
How is it applied?
Specialist applicators prime the prepared concrete, lay self-adhesive copper earthing tape at max 4 m centres, apply Nitoflor ESD conductive undercoat (verified to <=5×10^4 ohms to earth), then trowel-apply and spike-roll the 3-6 mm flow topping.
About Fosroc Nitoflor SL3000 U ESD
Fosroc Nitoflor SL3000 U ESD is the electrostatic-dissipative member of Fosroc’s SL3000 polyurethane-cement flooring family. It is a flow-applied, three-component, cementitious polyurethane (commonly called PU concrete or PU screed) floor topping engineered for medium-to-heavy-duty service in environments where static charge must be safely bled to earth. The complete system comprises a solvent-free epoxy primer/sealer, a conductive Nitoflor ESD undercoat carrying the earthing circuit, and the 3-6 mm dissipative top coat that finishes to a smooth matt surface.
What sets this product apart from ordinary epoxy or PU coatings is that the conductivity is engineered into the build-up. A grid of self-adhesive copper earthing tape is bonded over the primed slab and connected to earth, and the conductive undercoat is then verified by measurement to a resistance to earth of no more than 5 x 10^4 ohms before the topping goes down. The finished floor delivers a controlled, dissipative resistance in the region of 10^4 ohms, the band needed for genuine ESD protection rather than mere anti-static dust control.
Because the matrix is cementitious polyurethane and not a pure resin, the floor inherits the family’s signature properties: a high order of resistance to chemical attack, abrasion and physical aggression, good thermal tolerance, and a seamless, water-based, non-tainting body suited to hygiene-critical industries. It carries a CE Declaration of Performance (DOP UK9-188) and is classified to EN 13813 as SR-B2,0-AR0,5-IR20, and to BS 8204-6 as a FeRFA Type 5 floor at 3-4 mm (medium duty) and a FeRFA Type 7 floor at 5-6 mm (heavy duty). For Indian projects, Space Arc Engineering supplies and applies the system through authorised Fosroc channels across Delhi NCR and pan-India, with method-statement-driven installation by trained applicators.
The technical insight
The defining engineering feature is the three-tier conductive build-up, not the topping alone. ESD performance is created by a buried earthing network: a solvent-free epoxy primer seals the slab and hosts a grid of self-adhesive copper tape (applied at maximum 4 m centres so no point of floor is more than 2 m from a tape run), the Nitoflor ESD conductive undercoat then ties the grid together and must measure <=5 x 10^4 ohms to earth – a test that has to be performed and logged before proceeding. Only then is the 3-6 mm dissipative cementitious-PU topping laid, yielding an in-service resistance around 10^4 ohms. Because the topping is fast-setting, the mixed material (forced-action rotary paddle mixer; coloured base + hardener + graded aggregate) has just a 10-15 minute working life and must be spike-rolled within 3 minutes of placing; returning to spike-roll older areas leaves permanent spoiling marks. The topping is non-colour-fast PU-cement, so it can yellow under UV/heat without any loss of mechanical or chemical performance – a cosmetic, not a structural, caveat that procurement should set expectations around.
Where it is used
- Electronics manufacturing, SMT lines and PCB assembly areas requiring controlled static dissipation
- Hospital operating theatres and other clinical zones where static-dissipative, seamless hygienic flooring is specified
- Pharmaceutical production, formulation and packing areas needing ESD control plus chemical resistance
- Food, dairy and beverage processing areas exposed to organic acids, alcohols and frequent wash-down
- Cleanrooms and controlled-environment manufacturing where dust pick-up and static must be minimised
- Battery, defence and explosive-atmosphere-adjacent facilities where charge build-up is a safety hazard
Key advantages
- Built-in electrostatic dissipation to a controlled resistance in the region of 10^4 ohms via an engineered copper-tape earthing network
- Cementitious polyurethane matrix gives a high order of resistance to chemical attack, abrasion and impact
- Seamless, smooth matt finish that is easy to clean with standard cleaning chemicals and techniques
- Water-based and non-tainting, suiting food, dairy, pharma and clinical environments
- Available at 3-4 mm (FeRFA Type 5, medium duty) or 5-6 mm (FeRFA Type 7, heavy duty) to match service severity
- Fast cure schedule: light foot traffic in ~12 hours and full chemical resistance in 7 days at 20C
- CE-marked with DOP UK9-188 and classified to EN 13813 (SR-B2,0-AR0,5-IR20) and BS 8204-6
Limitations & considerations
- Smooth-finish floor; it can become slippery when wet, so good housekeeping and appropriate cleaning are essential
- Not colour-fast – the PU-cement topping may yellow over time under UV and heat (more so with light and blue shades); cosmetic only
- Very short working life of 10-15 minutes after mixing and a 3-minute spike-rolling window demand experienced specialist applicators
- Strict application envelope: substrate/ambient must be >=10C (ideal 15-25C, max 32C) and kept at least 3C above dew point; do not apply above 90% RH
- Requires a sound concrete base – minimum 25 MPa compressive strength at 28 days and surface tensile strength above 1.5 MPa
- Conductive integrity depends on correct copper-tape layout and a verified, logged resistance-to-earth test (<=5×10^4 ohms) before topping
- Batch-manufactured product; minor colour variation can occur between batches
Selection & best practice
Treat this as a tested system, not just a topping. Before installation, confirm the concrete is Grade RC30/minimum 25 MPa at 28 days with surface tensile strength above 1.5 MPa, with an effective damp-proof membrane; remove laitance, sealers and curing compounds by shot-blasting or grinding to expose coarse aggregate, then vacuum. Cut anchorage grooves at edges, day joints, up-stands, drains and doorways to at least 2x the topping thickness. Lay the copper earthing tape grid at maximum 4 m centres (no point more than 2 m from a tape), prime and seal, then apply the conductive undercoat and MEASURE AND LOG resistance to earth – it must be <=5×10^4 ohms before proceeding. Mix the topping only with a forced-action paddle mixer, place to the target coverage, level and spike-roll within 3 minutes, and never return to spike-roll set areas. Keep the floor protected from damp, condensation and water for at least 4 days using Kraft paper (never polythene), and respect the cure schedule before opening to traffic.
Specifications
| Chemical type / system | Three-component electrostatic-dissipative cementitious polyurethane (PU concrete) floor topping with solvent-free epoxy primer + conductive undercoat |
| Topping thickness | 3-6 mm (3-4 mm FeRFA Type 5 / medium duty; 5-6 mm FeRFA Type 7 / heavy duty) |
| Electrical resistance (in service) | Static-dissipative, in the region of 10^4 ohms |
| Conductive undercoat resistance to earth | Must measure <=5 x 10^4 ohms (tested and logged before topping) |
| EN 13813 classification | SR-B2,0-AR0,5-IR20 (bond strength B2,0; wear resistance AR0,5; impact resistance IR20) |
| Standards / approvals | CE marked, DOP UK9-188; EN 13813; BS 8204-6 (FeRFA Type 5 & 7); install per BS 8204-6:2008 |
| Substrates | Concrete, polymer-modified screeds, grano concrete |
| Minimum concrete strength | 25 MPa compressive at 28 days; surface tensile strength >1.5 MPa; Grade RC30 (BS 8500-2) |
| Coverage – SL3000 U ESD topping | 3.3 m2/pack at 3 mm; 1.7 m2/pack at 6 mm |
| Coverage – Nitoflor ESD Primer / undercoat | 20 m2/pack (do not exceed 10 m2/pack application rate) |
| Coverage – Nitoprime primer | Nominal 4 m2/kg (varies with texture/porosity) |
| Pack sizes | SL3000 U ESD: 19.7 kg packs; Nitoflor ESD Primer: 5 kg packs; Nitoprime: refer to Fosroc |
| Working life at 20C | SL3000 U ESD topping: 10-15 minutes; ESD Primer: 45 minutes |
| Cure schedule at 20C | Light foot traffic 12 h; light wheeled 24 h; medium duty 48 h; heavy duty (4-6 mm) & full chemical resistance 7 days |
| Application temperature | Ideal 15-25C; permissible 10-32C; keep >=3C above dew point; RH not >90% |
| Finish / colour | Smooth matt; standard Fosroc colour range; not colour-fast (may yellow under UV/heat) |
| Shelf life | 12 months (6 months for aggregate component), stored 10-30C off ground in unopened packs |
Industry use cases
Electronics & Semiconductor
SMT assembly halls, PCB lines and component handling areas where a dissipative ~10^4 ohm floor protects sensitive devices from electrostatic discharge while withstanding trolley traffic and cleaning regimes.
Healthcare
Operating theatres and critical-care suites where a seamless, easy-to-clean, static-dissipative floor reduces ESD risk around equipment and supports stringent hygiene standards.
Pharmaceutical
Formulation, granulation and packing areas combining ESD control with resistance to spillages of alcohols, acids and process chemicals, plus frequent wash-down.
Food, Dairy & Beverage
Processing zones exposed to citric and lactic acids, spirit vinegar and alcohols, where the water-based, non-tainting PU-cement body provides chemical and abrasion resistance alongside static dissipation.
Defence, Battery & Hazardous Areas
Manufacturing and storage zones adjacent to flammable or explosive atmospheres where bleeding static charge safely to earth is a defined safety requirement.
Frequently asked questions
Is Fosroc Nitoflor SL3000 U ESD an epoxy or a polyurethane floor?
What resistance does the finished floor achieve, and is that conductive or dissipative?
How thick is it and what duty rating does it carry?
What coverage and pack sizes should I plan for?
Can any contractor install it, or is a specialist needed?
Will the floor change colour over time?
What substrate condition does it need before application?
How we position Fosroc Nitoflor SL3000 U ESD
Within Fosroc’s own range, Nitoflor SL3000 U ESD is the static-dissipative sibling of the standard Nitoflor SL3000 U and the trowel-grade Nitoflor SL3000 UT / UT ESD; specifiers who do not need ESD control usually move to the plain SL3000 U, while those wanting a textured trowel finish look at the UT variants. For lighter-duty or thinner ESD requirements, conductive epoxy systems in the Nitoflor and Conductive Nitoflor lines (over a Nitoprime/Nitomortar primer) are the natural alternatives, though they trade away the thermal and chemical resilience of PU-cement. Against the wider Indian market, the closest competitors are Sika’s PU-cement and conductive flooring (e.g. the Sikafloor PurCem and Sikafloor ESD/conductive ranges), BASF/MBCC Master Builders Solutions Ucrete and conductive Mastertop systems, STP Zentrifix/Zentrol PU and ESD floor coatings, and conductive epoxy offerings from Dr. Fixit (Pidilite) – which are generally positioned for lighter ESD-coating duty rather than heavy PU-cement toppings. The honest read: SL3000 U ESD is a premium choice when you genuinely need both heavy-duty PU-cement durability and verified static dissipation in one seamless floor; where only anti-static dust control or a thin coating is required, a conductive epoxy will be more economical, and where extreme thermal cycling is the driver, a Ucrete/PurCem-class topping should be compared head-to-head on the project specification.
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