Sika Sikafloor-381 ECF
A two-part, self-smoothing conductive epoxy floor that bleeds static charge safely to earth while standing up to aggressive chemicals and heavy plant traffic.
What is it?
A two-component, 100% solids conductive epoxy resin floor covering from Sika that channels static charge to ground while resisting chemicals and abrasion.
Where is it used?
ESD-sensitive and explosion-risk areas: electronics assembly, battery-charging rooms, aircraft hangars, bunded chemical stores and automotive facilities.
Why use it?
It combines certified electrostatic conductivity (Rg < 10⁹ Ω per IEC 61340-4-1, ATEX 153) with high chemical and mechanical resistance in one seamless system.
How is it applied?
Trowel-applied over a Sika conductive primer and copper earthing grid at ~1.5 mm (smooth) or ~2.5 mm (broadcast with silicon carbide), then back-rolled with a spike roller.
About Sika Sikafloor-381 ECF
Sikafloor-381 ECF sits in a narrow but critical category of industrial floors: the ones that have to actively manage static electricity. In electronics production, battery-charging bays, or any zone where a stray spark could ignite solvent vapour or damage a circuit board, an ordinary epoxy simply will not do. This is a two-part, self-smoothing, coloured epoxy that is electrostatically conductive by design. Carbon fibres dispersed through the resin form a continuous conductive path, so a charge that lands on the surface is carried down to a copper earthing grid rather than allowed to build up and discharge unpredictably. The result is a floor that is certified to bleed static safely to earth while still behaving like a proper heavy-duty industrial coating.
What makes it a specifier’s floor rather than a general-purpose one is that the conductivity comes bundled with genuine chemical and mechanical performance. The system is 100% solids, effectively impermeable to liquids, and rated for high chemical exposure, which is why it turns up in bunded storage areas and process floors as often as in cleanrooms. Because the carbon fibre is doing the electrical work, the floor cannot be tinted to an exact colour match and very bright shades are hard to hold true, so it is normally specified where function leads and appearance follows. Sika restricts installation to approved contractors, and that is deliberate: the priming, earthing layout and film thickness all directly influence whether the finished floor actually meets its resistance-to-ground target.
The technical insight
The performance hinges on one idea: a controlled, continuous conductive network held at a precise film thickness. Conductive carbon fibres are distributed through the epoxy matrix so that surface charge has a low-resistance route to a copper earthing grid tied into the building’s earth. Sika certifies the resistance-to-ground at Rg < 10⁹ Ω to IEC 61340-4-1, with a typical average nearer Rg < 10⁶ Ω, and the product fulfils ATEX 153 for explosion-risk zones. The catch that trips up unqualified applicators is thickness: laying the coat thicker than the specified ~1.5 mm actually reduces conductivity, because it lifts the conductive layer further from the earthed grid and dilutes the fibre path. That is why the substrate must first be primed or levelled dead flat, why a conductive primer is mandatory beneath it, and why the earthing plates are placed before the topping goes down. Get the substrate, primer, earthing and film build right and you get a floor that reliably reads within ESD limits; get any one wrong and the electrical performance quietly fails even though the floor looks perfect.
Where it is used
- Electronics manufacturing and assembly areas where ESD would damage sensitive components
- Battery-charging rooms and areas carrying a high explosion risk (ATEX 153 zones)
- Bunded chemical storage and process floors needing both conductivity and chemical resistance
- Aircraft hangars and automotive facilities with solvent and fuel exposure
- Warehouses and storage areas handling static-sensitive or flammable goods
- Ammunition, explosives and defence handling areas
- Pharmaceutical and controlled production spaces requiring low particle emission
- Smooth or slip-resistant broadcast finishes selected to suit traffic and cleaning regime
Key advantages
- Certified electrostatic conductivity: Rg < 10⁹ Ω to IEC 61340-4-1 and fulfils ATEX 153
- 100% solids, self-smoothing and impermeable to liquids for a seamless, easy-clean surface
- High chemical resistance to a wide range of aggressive media
- Strong mechanical numbers: ~80 MPa compressive, ~55 MPa flexural, Shore D ~82
- Abrasion resistant, suiting forklift and heavy foot traffic
- Available in smooth or slip-resistant broadcast profiles for different duty levels
- CE marked to EN 1504-2 and EN 13813, with fire and cleanroom test reports
- Backed by Sika Method Statements and an EN 15804 Environmental Product Declaration
Limitations & considerations
- Exact colour matching is not possible because carbon fibre supplies the conductivity; bright shades (yellow, orange) vary most
- Direct sunlight can cause discolouration and colour variation over time
- Conductivity depends on film thickness; laying it thicker than specified reduces performance
- Requires a conductive primer and an earthing grid, so it cannot be applied as a standalone coat
- Installation is restricted to Sika-approved contractors and demands a flat, primed substrate
- Short pot life (~30 min at +20 °C) leaves little working time; a full 25 kg unit must be placed quickly
Selection & best practice
Confirm the substrate is structurally sound, clean and dry, with concrete of at least 25 N/mm² compressive and 1.5 N/mm² tensile strength and moisture at or below 4% (Tramex or CM method, no rising damp). Prime or level to a genuinely flat surface, apply the conductive primer, then place the copper earthing plates before the topping. Work within +10 °C to +30 °C at 80% RH maximum, keeping substrate and product at least 3 °C above dew point to avoid blooming. Respect the mixing ratio of 85:15 by weight, mix Parts A and B thoroughly with a double-paddle mixer, add filler gradually to avoid air entrainment, and decant into a clean container for a final mix. Hold the specified film thickness, back-roll with a spike roller, and protect the fresh floor from water and condensation for at least 24 hours. Never use gas, oil or paraffin heaters during cure — only electric warm-air blowers — and always verify resistance-to-ground on the finished, cured floor.
Specifications
| Chemical base | Two-part epoxy resin, electrostatically conductive (carbon fibre) |
| Solids content | 100% by mass and by volume |
| Mixing ratio (A:B) | 85 : 15 by weight |
| Consumption (smooth, ~1.5 mm) | 2.5 kg/m² binder + quartz sand F34 (0.1–0.3 mm) |
| Consumption (broadcast, ~2.5 mm) | 1.6 kg/m² binder + Silicon Carbide 0.5–1.0 mm (5–6 kg/m²) |
| Resistance to ground (Rg) | < 10⁹ Ω (IEC 61340-4-1); typical avg < 10⁶ Ω; fulfils ATEX 153 |
| Mechanical strength | Compressive ~80 MPa, Flexural ~55 MPa, Shore D ~82, Adhesion >1.5 N/mm² |
| Pot life / cure | ~30 min at +20 °C; foot traffic ~18 h, full cure ~7 days at +20 °C |
| Packaging | 25 kg unit (Part A 21.25 kg + Part B 3.75 kg); bulk 250 kg / 190 kg drums; shelf life 24 months |
Industry use cases
Electronics & Semiconductor
Assembly and test floors where uncontrolled static discharge would damage components; the floor bleeds charge to earth within certified ESD limits.
Defence & Energetics
Ammunition, explosives and battery-charging areas classed as high explosion risk, where ATEX 153 conductivity is a hard requirement.
Chemical & Process
Bunded storage and process bays needing a seamless, impermeable floor that resists aggressive spillage while staying conductive.
Aviation & Automotive
Aircraft hangars and vehicle facilities with fuel and solvent exposure, where both spark control and abrasion resistance matter.
Pharma & Cleanroom
Controlled production spaces that need low particle emission and static control alongside an easy-to-clean, jointless surface.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sikafloor-381 ECF conductive or static-dissipative?
Why can’t I get the exact floor colour I want?
How much does it cover?
Do I need an earthing grid and primer, or can it go straight on concrete?
Who can install it and on what substrate?
What pack sizes and shelf life should I plan around?
How we position Sika Sikafloor-381 ECF
Sikafloor-381 ECF is the conductive, chemical-resistant topping in Sika’s ESD flooring family. Within that family it is typically installed as part of the Sikafloor Multidur ES-31 ECF (smooth), ET-31 ECF/V (textured vertical) and EB-31 ECF (broadcast, slip-resistant) systems, over a Sika conductive primer with a copper earthing grid; where a substrate carries excess moisture, a Sikafloor EpoCem temporary barrier is used first, and joints or cracks are pre-treated with Sikadur resins. Against our other brands, the closest genuine equivalent we stock is Fosroc’s Nitoflor conductive/dissipative range, which a specifier may prefer where the project is already standardised on Fosroc or where a PU-epoxy hybrid ESD floor is wanted. For non-conductive heavy-duty flooring the choice shifts to standard Sikafloor or Fosroc Nitoflor systems, and for surface-hardened traffic areas to a dry-shake hardener such as Fosroc Nitoflor Hardtop.
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