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Revision as of 09:33, 29 December 2004
Epoxy or polyepoxide is a thermosetting epoxide polymer that cures when mixed with a catalyzing agent or "hardener". The material was developed by I.G. Farben Industrie of Germany in 1939, and is used for coatings, adhesives and composite materials like glass-reinforced plastic (although polyester thermoset is also used for glass-reinforced plastic).
Epoxy formulations have been developed with setting times ranging from a few minutes to several hours; this is one of many characteristics that should be considered when selecting the best epoxy for any given application.
Epoxies are fairly easy to distinguish from polyester thermosets, as epoxy materials typically use a 1:1 ratio of resin to hardener, or very nearly that, while polyester thermoset materials typically use a ratio of at least 10:1 between resin to hardener (or "catalyst." Also, epoxy materials tend to harden somewhat more gradually, while polyester materials tend to harden more abruptly.
See also
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