Category Archive: Epoxy Resins
Epoxy resins are commonly used compounds in adhesives, paints, top coatings, sealers, and more. Most epoxy applications are combined with a specific curing process to ensure the finished product has the ideal characteristics for a given purpose. After the epoxy is applied, professionals can apply heat to speed up the curing process and create faster-forming chemical reactions. They can also keep the environment at lower temperatures to slow down the curing process and minimize molecular cross-linking in the epoxy.
Does Heat Weaken Epoxy?
Epoxies can generally resist moderately high temperatures, with an even higher degree of resistance if the specific compound is rated as heat-resistant. However, most cured epoxy products can only be in the presence of high temperatures for a short period. Once the temperature is too high, the epoxy will grow weak, distorting and softening until it loses its shape and glassy surface.
What Temperature Is Too Hot for Epoxy?
Epoxies come in a variety of heat-resistant options, each of which can withstand different maximum temperatures before it starts to weaken. Some of the most popular types of epoxy have these temperature maximums:
- DIY or hobby epoxies: up to approximately 150°F
- High-temperature industrial epoxies: up to approximately 450°F or more
High-heat epoxies get their heat-resistant characteristics from their base molecular structure and additives such as quartz fillers. Choose the right epoxy resin for your application based on the expected temperatures it will need to handle.
How Does Cold Weather Affect Epoxy?
Cold weather has clear effects on both in-process epoxies and cured epoxies. Here are the three most important ways cold weather can affect epoxy coatings:
1. Extending Epoxy Curing Time
The lower the temperature, the longer the epoxy will take to cure. This can be advantageous for applications requiring a longer working time; however, this can extend the time (and therefore the costs) of any project.
2. Increased Humidity
Colder temperatures often increase the presence of moisture around curing epoxies. If the moisture gets into uncured epoxy and condenses into a liquid, it can blush (or cloud) the surface, creating a flat finish instead of a glassy one, and even cause defects in the surface texture.
3. Viscosity
Cold weather increases the viscosity of epoxy. This added thickness makes it more difficult to stir and can cause self-leveling epoxies to not level properly and leave imperfections.
Will Epoxy Crack when applied in Freezing Temperatures?
Temperatures lower than 50°F are considered ‘low temperatures’ for epoxies. Once the temperature dips below 50°F, there will be extended curing times. Once the temperature goes below the freezing point, or 32°F, standard epoxy won’t fully cure at all, specialty epoxies are use at these temperatures. While epoxy will not crack in freezing temperatures, it will drastically reduce its ability to cure properly.
What Can Reduce the Temperature Resistance of Epoxy?
Some additives can reduce epoxy’s resistance to temperature damage, such as solvents or improperly measured and mixed resin components. These risks can be reduced by properly following the mixing instructions.
Choose Durable Epoxies From Copps Industries, Inc.
At Copps Industries, we have specialized in producing high-quality epoxies for over 40 years. We’re committed to creating high-quality, specialty, and environmentally friendly product options for all of our clients across multiple different industries. Today, our product catalog includes more than 500 epoxy products for use in civil engineering, mining, electronics, and more, as well as 2,500 formulations in our private labeling offerings. Our company is ISO 9001:2000 certified, and we’re committed to creating products that meet our high quality standards.
Contact us today to learn more about our specialty epoxies, or request a quote for pricing details.
Epoxy resins are commonly used for adhesives, protective coatings, and other construction applications. However, some lightly colored and white epoxies can start to yellow over time, ruining the appearance of the epoxy layer. This yellowing effect can seem random, but certain environmental factors can actually make epoxy more vulnerable to yellowing. In this blog, we’ll cover some of the most common causes of epoxy yellowing and how you can prevent it.
Why Epoxy Turns Yellow
Epoxies tend to turn yellow as a result of UV radiation exposure. Although outdoor equipment is most vulnerable to this risk, indoor epoxy applications can also yellow because most windows do not sufficiently block UV radiation or lighting.
Some specialty epoxy resins can retain their original color despite prolonged sunlight exposure, but most epoxy resins will yellow over time. Here are the two most common reasons why epoxy turns yellow:
- Extended periods of high temperatures: Discoloration can happen if epoxy products sit in high temperatures for long periods of time, especially in locations without adequate climate control. Even ambient summer temperatures can accelerate yellowing. High temperatures can also damage the integrity of the epoxy resin.
- UV light exposure: Sunlight tends to make many plastics and polymers deteriorate, and epoxy resins are no exception. The epoxy molecules degrade over time as they interact with the light. This effect starts immediately, but the yellow color may not be visible until more damage accumulates.
How to Prevent Epoxy from Turning Yellow
To keep your epoxy components undamaged, you’ll need to make a preventative plan starting before the epoxy product is applied. To control heat generation, we recommend building thicker epoxy products from multiple thin layers, especially with standard epoxies. This allows each layer to properly cure at a controlled temperature. In contrast, pouring a thick mass of epoxy at once can generate enough heat to accelerate chemical reactions, resulting in cracks and discoloration. Manufacturers and hobbyists can also use specialty epoxies with UV stabilizers that are formulated to resist discoloration or handle higher heat levels.
Three key strategies for keeping epoxy from yellowing are:
- Using a sealer: Polyurethane sealants can protect the epoxy from molecular excitation in the presence of UV light and delay the discoloration process.
- Limiting UV exposure: The simplest way to prevent damage is to keep the epoxy shielded from sunlight.
- Choosing a yellow or darkly pigmented epoxy: Light-colored and white epoxy resins are the most vulnerable to yellowing. Epoxies that are already yellow or darkly colored will not show as much visible discoloration. This won’t remove the risk of cracks or other types of degradation, but it does improve the long-term appearance of epoxy.
Epoxy Resins from Copps Industries
At Copps Industries, we specialize in creating epoxy resins for commercial and industrial applications. We test every resin to ensure it meets or exceeds our quality assurance standards. Our products are built to serve diverse industries, including:
- Civil/Structural engineering
- Electrical
- Construction
- Aggregate craft epoxy
Contact Copps Industries for High-Performance Epoxy Resins
For over four decades, Copps Industries has been a leading provider of high-quality epoxy resins. Contact us today to learn about our selection of specialty and colorized epoxy products. You can also request a quote for custom pricing.
Epoxy resins are versatile materials with a high aesthetic appeal. In recent years, epoxies have gained popularity in the art world due to their limitless color options and visual appeal. Epoxies are also widely used in the bar and restaurant industries to craft unique bars and countertops. To create an epoxy resin, two liquid chemicals are mixed. When they harden, they produce a durable, low-maintenance plastic that can be used in a wide range of applications, from construction adhesive and coatings to consumer crafts.
The Different Types of Consumer Craft Epoxies
There are two primary types of epoxy resin for consumer crafts. Both types are water-clear and harden to an extremely durable finish that can withstand scratching and yellowing:
- Diamond Clear Epoxy- Tabletop: Typically used for bartops and countertops, along with artistic projects, tabletop epoxy has a medium viscosity and a 1:1 epoxy-to-hardener mix ratio. It’s used by consumers for crafts and home improvement projects, and it also has commercial and industrial applications in restaurant chains and more.
- Diamond Clear Epoxy- Casting: This low-viscosity epoxy is a favorite among woodworkers and artists. It has a 2:1 epoxy-to-hardener mix ratio and is used for large castings, river tabletops, encapsulating items, and more.
Applications of Consumer Craft Epoxies
From serving trays and coasters to tabletops and wall decor, epoxy is a versatile material limited only by the artist’s imagination. Epoxies can be made in any color, and you can pour them over a variety of other materials. Clear epoxy bar counters, for example, may feature a collection of bottle caps, pencils, or flowers underneath the hardened resin. Here are just a few of the most common craft applications for epoxies:
- Bar and Table Tops: For a high-gloss surface that exposes the underlying wood or other decorative items, epoxy offers both beauty and durable functionality. Copps offers commercial-grade epoxies that are used by bar and restaurant owners around the world.
- Casting Resin: Because these resins cure more slowly and offer a thicker pour, they are ideal for encasing or suspending objects like dried flowers, coins, and various memorabilia.
- River Tables: Thanks in part to social media how-to videos, beautiful river tables have grown in popularity. Copps consumer epoxies can be mixed with a range of pigments to create nearly any color for your river table project.
Copps Industries Private Label Program
With our private label program, Copps Industries can help you bring high-quality epoxies to market quickly. We’ve already perfected the formulation and ensured it meets all manufacturing and environmental standards and regulations, saving you time in research and development. It’s a great opportunity to extend the reach of your brand with a proven product.
Our entire line of epoxy products, featuring more than 2,500 formulations, is available for private labeling. With no start-up costs or fixed manufacturing costs, private labeling is a cost-efficient way to add an epoxy solution to your product line.
How to Choose the Optimal Private Label Manufacturing Partner
It’s important to find a private label manufacturer that values collaboration. At Copps Industries, we have years of experience in private label manufacturing, and we see ourselves as your partner in bringing your branded epoxy product to market. Working with us comes with a range of benefits, including:
- No research and development costs
- No fixed costs
- No expensive start-up costs
- No manufacturing costs
- Regulatory and environmental compliance
- Export shipping compliance
We take care of all the details, backed by our years of experience and commitment to excellence. We are ISO 9001:2015 certified and hold ourselves to the highest standards for quality, safety, and environmental responsibility. With over 2,500 formulations in our database, we have products to suit a wide variety of needs and we work to exceed your expectations. Contact us to learn more about our private label epoxy manufacturing or request a quote today.
Carbon fibers are strong, lightweight, and fatigue-resistant fibers used to build composite materials. By combining carbon fibers with epoxies, manufacturers can create incredibly hard, durable materials that outperform both individual material types. Composites are a relatively new production material compared to materials like aluminum, iron, and steel, but there are many benefits in choosing to work with carbon fiber-strengthened composites that span a range of industries.
Epoxy for Carbon Fiber
Composites are specialty materials made from a combination of fibers and resins. Epoxy resin is a thermoset polymer material that is heated and cured to chemically alter the material’s composition to create a permanently hardened substance. Most epoxy resins retain their positive attributes at temperatures as high as 175°C. Once the liquid polymers in an epoxy resin solidify, the hardened piece becomes strong, resistant to chemical and thermal damage, and can withstand physical wear or impact.
Epoxy resin is advantageous due to its properties in its liquid state. The material is a very strong adhesive with the unique ability to fuse with carbon fibers to create an even stronger microstructure that showcases the advantages of both the epoxy and the fibers.
Carbon fibers resist fatigue, have low thermal expansion, and can absorb or dampen vibrations. They are supplied in two forms that are suitable for creating composites. Carbon fiber tows are bundles of thousands of untwisted, continuous fibers which can be used directly in epoxies or converted into woven reinforcement materials like fabric or tape.
Benefits of Epoxy Resin for Carbon Fiber
Epoxy resin and carbon fiber composites are uniquely strong and offer excellent performance in commercial and industrial applications. Some of the benefits of this material include:
- Strength: Carbon fibers have very high tensile strength but are prone to damage. Epoxy resins have low tensile strength but their toughness and malleable properties protect the fibers from damage, creating an even stronger material.
- Lightweight: The composite material has an excellent strength-to-weight ratio, surpassing even aluminum and titanium. As a result, manufacturers can produce lightweight parts that can be used in more energy-efficient vehicles and assemblies.
- Flexibility: Despite its strength and durability, the composite is simultaneously very flexible. This means the material can withstand strong impact forces by absorbing the force. It also won’t develop spider cracks under impact or when the material is bent.
- No shrinkage: Epoxy resins won’t shrink after curing. This extends the lifespan of composite parts and components used in harsh environments.
- UV resistance: The composite material can withstand exposure to sunlight. It’s 100% UV resistant, so it can be used in long-term outdoor applications without the risk of wear or degradation.
- Aesthetics: Epoxy resin and carbon fiber composites are transparent, which makes them an excellent choice for visible components and consumer-facing products.
Applications of Epoxy Resins With Carbon Fiber
Epoxy resin and carbon fiber composites are very versatile, which makes them useful in a wide variety of applications and industries. At Copps Industries, we formulate epoxy resins for composite materials used across the following applications:
- Aerospace
- Aircraft and avionics
- Automotive component construction and assembly
- Boats and marine applications
- Consumer goods
- Construction
- Corrosion-resistant parts for industrial and manufacturing equipment
- Military and defense
- Oil and gas processing
- Sporting goods and recreational products
- Transportation
Choose Epoxy Resins With Carbon Fiber From Copps Industries
Since 1979, Copps Industries has been a leading provider of high-performance epoxy resins for use in civil engineering, adhesives, manufacturing, and more. Our company is ISO 9011:2015-certified as part of our commitment to excellent product quality. We produce resins for use in a wide variety of different composite materials. Contact us today to learn more about our epoxy resin formulation capabilities and services. You can also request a quote to start your order.
