How to choose the right epoxy resin for your project, Building polyepoxides, Material advice
Choose the Right Epoxy Resin for Your Project guide
26 Nov 2021
Ever since the late 1930s, the world has been blessed with a substance called epoxy resin. While many people still do not know what they are, existing users are full of praise for such remarkable material. So what exactly is epoxy resin, and why is it such an important element for people working with these? Read this article to get a comprehensive idea of epoxy resins, based on which you can go ahead and select the right variant for your application.
Right Epoxy Resin for Your Building Project
What Exactly Is Epoxy Resin?
Epoxy resin (or simply resin) is a special type of synthetic element that has a multitude of applications in various projects around the world. They are also widely known as polyepoxides. Scientifically, epoxy resin refers to a form of reactive polymer and prepolymer that consists of numerous epoxide groups. These substances can either react with each other or with other compounds like phenols, amines, thiols, and many more, by adding catalysts.
Epoxy resins are mostly used in industries where powerful adhesives and extremely durable materials are needed for production purposes. They have superior mechanical attributes, high thermal resistance, and increased endurance from chemical reactions. This is one of the key reasons for using epoxy resins in creating aircraft components.
Epoxy resin variants work differently on different surfaces. The level of viscosity that works well on wood will not give you the same result on concrete. For a better understanding of ideal surfaces for various types of epoxy resin, check out the resin-expert.com Surface Guide. Here you will find all sorts of relevant information that will provide you with the answers you might be looking for.
How Is the Mixing Done?
The idea is pretty straightforward: the epoxy resin needs to be mixed with a specific hardener to reach certain levels of sturdiness. Upon mixing a hardener with epoxy resin, it takes a few hours before the changes start to show. Soon you would be looking at a solid wall of resin that feels indestructible. The transitioning procedure itself is quite interesting as the liquid gradually turns solid, with a lot of heat emanating from the container. A standard hardener to resin ratio is 1:1, although 2:1 is also common.
Types of Epoxy Resin
Although you may find varieties of epoxy resin in the market, they all come down to two main variants that are the most popular. Each has its purpose to serve. Let us take a look at both and understand the primary difference between the two.
Epoxy Resin Coating
To lay a waterproof, rustproof, robust, and rigid finish, an epoxy resin coating is used. One of the key benefits of using this coating is that the curing time is very fast – especially when the mixing is done in a 1:1 ratio. Upon drying up, the coatings get sturdy and give a glossy look that is very classy.
The texture is easy to polish, and the overall structure becomes highly durable. Creating inlays with epoxy on wood is one of the biggest uses of epoxy resin. Ask any woodworker about its uses, and you will be surprised to hear all the positive reviews of using epoxy resin on wood.
Epoxy Resin Casting
Epoxy resin casting is known by various names around the world. Examples include deep pour resin and pouring plastic. All these names are derived from the fact that epoxy resin casting is usually poured into a container that has a lengthy pouring time. It is an ideal material for filling holes in objects and strengthening them in the process.
The perfect resin to hardener ratio is 2:1. Imagine pouring water into a container. The fluid takes the shape of the container and holds it unless the medium is changed. Epoxy resin casting follows the same concept, except the resin hardens after a while and retains the shape even when the container is removed.
Viscosity Levels of Epoxy Resin
In simple terms, viscosity is the property of a fluid that determines its resistance to flow. Various factors depend on viscosity when using epoxy resin on a project. The following sections describe the three variants of epoxy resins of viscosity, along with some scenarios where they can be implemented.
Low Viscosity
This is primarily used in repair works where filling of cavities or intense penetration is required. Due to the low viscosity, the fluid remains consistent and fills every little gap it enters. As more areas start to fill, air bubbles are removed from the surface, which is a major reason behind low viscosity epoxy resins being extremely adhesive and durable.
Some instances were using these substances is ideal to use are decorating objects, casting molds, casting furniture, sealing cracks in wood, crafting jewelry, and some others.
Moderate Viscosity
This tends to be thicker than the former but not much. Moderate viscosity epoxy resins boast more strength, are less permeable, and have higher endurance for excessive temperatures. Although they can not be used for filling and casting purposes, they have their set of uses. Vacuum bagging, filament winding, tooling are all examples of moderate viscosity epoxy resin functionalities.
High Viscosity
This is the toughest of the lot and is implemented in situations where sheer pressure is involved. High viscosity epoxy resin has the consistency of a paste and is a brilliant adhesive that can be used under any circumstances. The increased adhesion helps the material to deal with extreme levels of heat and shock. This form of epoxy resin is incredible when it comes to durability and sustenance.
Few scenarios of high viscosity epoxy resin usage include polished sealing of flat surfaces, sealing of resin tables, crafting resin paintings, coating paintings, coating bedroom floors, coating garage floors, and more.
Choose the Right Epoxy Resin for Your Project – Final Thoughts
There are various ways in which you can reinforce rigid structures like concrete floors. The use of epoxy resins is one such method that is very effective in achieving such feats. In fact, from small-time contractors to large scale architects and engineers, epoxy resin is appreciated by all. We believe this article has been a useful guide for individuals of all skill levels that are thinking of using epoxy resin in their upcoming projects and applications.
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