The SPC flooring collection Arbiton is protected by space-resistant nanotechnology

The Titanium Nano Layer technology has descended from space to Earth, specifically to SPC Arbiton floor coverings, increasing the scratch resistance of these mineral floors by thirty percent. The technology, working with particles in the order of billionths of a meter (10^-9), cannot be seen even under a microscope. However, if you take a sponge and "scratch" two floors, one without and one with the Titanium Nano Layer protective coating, you will see the difference in scratching with the naked eye.

It has become customary for earthly technologies to utilize know-how that has proven itself in challenging space conditions. A similar process has brought the Titanium Nano Layer protective coating for mineral floor coverings SPC Arbiton from space to Earth. “It’s not a newly invented technology; it’s relatively old, several decades old, but it hasn’t been used in the flooring industry yet,” says Milan Mrkáček, head of regional sales at Kratochvíl parket profi, which imports Arbiton’s mineral coverings to us. “It was invented in the 1950s, initially used in the aerospace industry, where nano coatings were applied, for example, to the Apollo spacecraft. Gradually, it was transferred from the space program to more common technologies, as we can find nano coatings in the automotive industry, where they are used to protect car bodies from scratching. But within the flooring industry, I am not aware of any other product in our market that has a similar protective layer; it is absolutely unique in our market.”

Floors protect against scratching at the atomic level

The Titanium Nano Layer protective coating operates at an atomic level. “The covering is treated with a lacquered layer that, due to the nano size of the particles, permeates even the smallest micro pores of the covering, which are not visible even under a microscope. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter, or 10^-9 meters, which is unimaginably small. But it is this micro part of the liquid that seeps into the smallest joints. And by filling these tiny pores, it increases the floor’s resistance to scratching by up to thirty percent,” explains Milan Mrkáček, outlining the principle of operation. In contrast, the structure of conventional lacquer is much larger, so ordinary lacquer remains only on the surface of the covering, does not penetrate inside, and thus has lower resistance.

And what about cats?

Even though cats scratch just about everything, the resistance of the Titanium Nano Layer protective coating is visible at first glance even after a cat attack. The effectiveness of the protection can be demonstrated, for example, with a dish sponge. “If you were to try to scratch a regular vinyl or SPC with the rough side of a sponge and then do the same intensity on a floor with the Titanium Nano Layer, you would see a total difference,” adds Milan Mrkáček from KPP.

The manufacturer of mineral coverings Arbiton first protected its Arbiton Liberal collection (11 oak and 1 walnut designs) and Arbiton Amaron (oak decors in the Wood collection and stone in the XXL Stone Design collection) with a nano layer. Now, the Titanium Nano Layer is standard in all Arbiton SPC coverings, including the new Herringbone collections (in fishbone design) and Superiore (with Synchrostructure surface treatment with a real wood surface).

It is also noteworthy that Arbiton operates not only as a manufacturer but also as a testing laboratory. “Before they started manufacturing floors themselves, they tested them, which gave them rich experiences and a good understanding of what works and what to avoid,” reveals Milan Mrkáček from KPP.