How to dissolve epoxy resin? Working with epoxy resin

The word "epoxy" is known to almost every person. But epoxy resin, the use of which is quite common today, is a kind of synthetic resin. It appeared in the 50's. The last century and immediately gained popularity due to its universal properties.

Today, epoxy resins are used in industrial production and households. The application possibilities are constantly expanding due to the development of compositions with improved characteristics.

Description of epoxy resin

By chemical composition, an epoxy resin is an oligomeric synthetic compound. These materials are in demand today in almost all spheres of industry. In its free form, epoxy is not used, but in combination with the hardener it is able to show unique properties after the polymerization reaction. If the epoxy resin is combined with curing agents, it can result in:

• Rigid solid materials;
• Soft and stronger products;
• Rubber-like materials.

Epoxy resins are resistant to the following substances:

• Halogens;
• Acids;
• Alkali.

However, dissolution occurs in esters and acetone without film formation. After curing the epoxy resin, its composition does not release volatiles, and shrinkage is negligible.

Features of epoxy resin

If you are wondering how to dilute epoxy, you should be aware that a lack or excess of hardener in the composition can adversely affect the quality of the polymer, while it remains resistant to heat, but its strength is reduced, the ability to resist chemicals and water persists . If the hardener is added in insufficient quantities, the product may be tacky due to unbound resin.

Before you dilute the epoxy, you need to understand that the excess free hardener is released on the polymer surface during operation. To obtain different compounds, curing agents and resin are used in different proportions, this can be found in the instructions. If we are talking about a modern compound, then the ratio most often looks like this: 1 to 2 or 1 to 1.

Recommendations for the cultivation of epoxy resin

To date, there is an opinion that if the hardener is used in a volume higher than normal, the polymerization reaction will occur faster. This thought can be considered a delusion. The simplest way to speed up the process is to increase the temperature of the reacting mixture.

If you want to speed up the process three times, then the temperature should be increased by 10 ° C. If you are pondering the question of how to dissolve epoxy, you should know that today special compounds are known that contain accelerators of curing in the composition. It is possible to meet on sale and epoxy compounds, which freeze at a lower temperature. The type of hardener and the temperature of the mixture act as the main factors that affect the polymerization rate.

Dilution of epoxy resin: compositions with different polymerization temperatures

The epoxy resin can cure at temperatures ranging from -10 to +200 ° C, all will depend on the kind of formulation used. To date, hot and cold curing resins are known. Cold-type hardener and epoxy resin are most often used in everyday life. You can meet such a composition even in conditions of production with low power, and also where heat treatment is unacceptable.

To obtain high-strength products that will be able to undergo high loads and temperatures, as well as exposure to chemicals, hot-curing components are used. When a hot polymerization is formed a dense network of molecules. Also, there are formulations and oxides thereof that are capable of polymerizing in sea water and in a humid environment.

Application area

Epoxy materials are now widespread all over the world, they are known since the middle of the last century. The nature of the application of these materials has undergone significant changes in recent years, but the use remains traditional in several areas, among them:

• Impregnation of fiberglass and fiberglass;
• Coating for waterproofing;
• Creation of chemically resistant coatings;
• Production of a transparent solid material for fiberglass products.

Epoxy resin, the use of which is quite common today, can act as an impregnator for bonding parts in electrical engineering, automotive, aviation, radio electronics and industry. In this case, the composition is used in the manufacture of fiberglass in machinery and shipbuilding, in construction, in the workshops for repair of car body parts and boat hulls.

Work with epoxy resin is carried out where there is a need to waterproof the walls, as well as the floors of basements and pools. With the help of epoxy resin, it is possible to produce materials and paints for exterior and interior decoration of buildings, as well as impregnations that will provide waterproofing of porous materials and their increased strength, among them wood and concrete.

For reference

Epoxy resin can form the basis of a transparent solid material, which is carried out by pouring into a mold. At the next stage, the products are processed by a mechanical method, such as grinding and cutting. Used for fiberglass products in design works, electronics industry, construction and household.

Work with epoxy: surface preparation

Work with epoxy resin requires the preparation of the surface before applying the formulation. Only then will it be possible to achieve high-quality adhesion. Therefore, before you dilute the epoxy, first prepare the surface. To begin with, the substrate degreases. There should be no traces of oil and grease on the surface. The surface is cleaned using solvents or effective detergents. It is important to make sure there is no gloss.

The top layer is removed by grinding. Small surfaces should be prepared by hand, use sandpaper for this. Impressive in the area of the base are processed by grinding machines, and the formed dust should be removed with a vacuum cleaner. In the manufacture of fiberglass or layer-by-layer packing of epoxy floors, varnishes and paints, each subsequent coating should be applied to an incompletely frozen, still sticky previous layer.

If the technology and the requirements for the finished product are allowed, then the lower layer, which serves as the substrate, should be sprinkled with fine sand. After curing, the excess sand will need to be removed and a new epoxy layer applied.

Preparation of a large volume of epoxy resin

If you do not know the specific properties of epoxy resin, then you may encounter problems in the manufacture of material in large volumes. With an increase in the volume of the epoxide, more heat is released. When boiling, the resin will foam, become turbid white. This composition can not be considered usable. To reduce the viscosity, diluents and solvents can be added to the resin. Even a small concentration may cause a decrease in the strength and heat resistance of the product. The consequence is the bleeding of the diluent from the polymer, which entails a deterioration in the quality of the material.

Epoxy resins and hardeners should not contain water. If this happens, the composition will become cloudy and lose its properties. To date, a water-borne epoxy is produced. Such formulations are diluted to achieve dispersion with distilled water. A two-component epoxy resin must be mixed with a plasticizer. The resulting mixture is slowly heated, which is true if DBP is used. When using DEG-1, the composition must be mixed.

For thorough mixing, use a special drill bit or a construction mixer. The proportions of resin and plasticizer are selected depending on the required plasticity, but most often the proportion of plasticizer varies from 5 to 10%. A hardener is added to the mixture. The resin is cooled to +30 ° C to prevent boiling. The standard proportion of the resin with the hardener is 1 to 10. In order to achieve an even dissolution of the hardener, stirring must be ensured. Otherwise, the composition will be heterogeneous, and will subsequently sweat.

Crafts from resin

Quite often, craftsmen perform epoxy resin crafts. These works can be accompanied by certain difficulties. The product should turn out to be transparent, there should not be air bubbles inside it. In the thickness and on the surface, the curing should be uniform. If the thickness is more than 2 mm, the material is applied in layers after the primary polymerization. The resin can be cast into molds. In order for the product to separate, the form is smeared with petroleum jelly or grease.

Dye for epoxy resin will give the product any color. After the work is completed, the product is kept at a temperature slightly above room temperature. After 3 hours there will be a primary polymerization, curing until detachment, after the product should be heated to accelerate the curing process for 6 hours. If you decide to make crafts from epoxy, then, it is possible, you can not use a special frying cupboard.

At room temperature, the polymerization will last 2 weeks. If triethylenetetramine is added to the ingredients, the surface may remain sticky. The cast product should be machined in the future. Epoxy resin domestic production is not so suitable for casting massive products, because it is characterized by uneven hardening of the thickness.

Giving the color of epoxy

The dye for epoxy resin will allow to receive in the home composition, painted in a certain color. In order to ensure a uniform distribution of pigment, manufacturers use dozens of surfactants. Pigmenting can reduce the transparency of the resin, sometimes it changes color, the resin darkens. Adding pigment should be done before the catalyst, but after adding the wax.

Technical characteristics of epoxy resin on the example of brand ED-20

Epoxy resin, the characteristics of which will be listed below, is a honey-like liquid of a yellowish color, which is easily colored. The density at 20 ° C of the external environment is the limit of 1.16-1.25 kg / m ³ . The tensile strength is 40-90 MPa. The bending strength is equivalent to 80-140 MPa. The compressive strength is 100-200 MPa.

The polymerization temperature is 20 ° C and above. If you are interested in epoxy resin, the proportions of the mixture when combined with the hardener should interest you. The latter should be used in a volume of 7 parts, while the resin is added in an amount of 1 part. The polymerization time of the composition is 1.5 hours. Water absorption for 24 hours is equal to the limit of 0.01-0.1%. The heat resistance varies from 55 to 170 ° C. The impact strength is 5-25 kJ / m ² .

Basic properties of epoxy resin

Before deciding where to buy epoxy, you need to know its basic properties. Among other things, low resistance to cracking, as well as more impressive toxicity compared with acrylic resins should be noted. Properties of epoxy indicate that the composition is highly viscous, it should be used in conjunction with solvents. To reduce the viscosity of the resin, it is possible to heat the mixture or add a solvent thereto. In both cases, the resin will become more fluid. It can be applied with a roller or brush, it will quickly impregnate fiberglass and penetrate into porous surfaces, for example, wood.

Conclusion

Quite often, consumers are wondering where to buy epoxy. Today, this material is offered by a lot of companies, among others, the composite supermarket Carbo, located in Moscow at 42 Volgogradsky Prospekt.