Why pick an aliphatic sealant for your rubber surface

We all have seen granulation on poured in place surfaces. It is amost a natural progression in a system that is not rebinded in time. You will see granules everywhere. Typically at the lowest point of the safety surface, on the kids hands and shoes and even in the classrooms. 

What causes granulation in a poured in rubber surface? Very simple. The sun. all polyurethane binders used in a pouredin install degrade overtime with UV rays. And since they are the only agent holding the rubber granules together, the granules come loose. When that happens, it becomes imperative to rebind or condition the rubber surface. A common word used out there is to "seal the poured in surface". I don't like that word because sealing a surface entails plugging the pores that makes the surface permeable to water. A good rebinder or conditioner shouldn't do that. 

One of the properties of a good rubber surface sealer or conditioner is that it has to be aliphatic based, nor aromatic. Here is why:

• An aliphatic based sealer or conditioner is always going to be better than an aromatic one. It has more tensile strength. It is more UV resistant 
• An aliphatic sealer / conditioner will not amber the surface. This avoids the annoying yellowing that happens to certain colors
• Aliphatic based sealers will get absorbed in the surface better. They won't sit on top unless they are overapplied. 
• Aliphatic playground and pool sealers are easier to apply than aromatic based conditioners and more forgiving if you spill on the surface.
• A proper aliphatic sealer that applied properly should not harden your surface or affect your HIC or GMAX rating. 

It is important, as we talk about aliphatic based sealers that you never use a pure aliphatic binder to condition your surface.  These binders are used to mix rubber granules. We are talking about a product that is based on the aliphatic binder but is diluted enough to be able to roll or spray over a surface as a maintenance product. You should also never cut them or dilute your own. A propoer sealer is diluted at the lab at the right levels. If you dilute your own binder, you can risk hardening your surface or even making the granulation worse.