Epoxy, Reccomendations?
Moderators: Head Monkey, kelvin, bigKam, skidesmond, chrismp
EcoPoxySystems
Here's another option to think about. I've been using Ecopoxy Systems since I started building 2 years ago. I was looking for something that wasn't going to have any dangerous effects with long term use, (certified green and non-toxic). I was a bit skeptical at first, but I'm super happy with the results. This season I have about 30 days on my skis with zero problems, and I've been trying to beat them up to make sure that the epoxy is going to hold over the long term. So far so good. Its a bit expensive, but well worth the cost. No fumes, and I feel safe using it. I use a heat lamp before the layup because its a bit thick, but with heat, its really easy to wet out.
Re: Huntsman
Bloefeld wrote:I am a composite and resin expert. I have reviewed this thread and have some recommendations and suggestions.Brazen wrote:Has anyone here tried the araldite by huntsman? I heard this stuff was THE shit...can't remember who was using it.
http://www.huntsman.com/advanced_materi ... ageID=5873
The epoxies recommended are all basically the same. They are Bis A epoxies with the primary differences being the curative formulation and some toughening additives. They are OK to work with, but both way more money than they are worth and require a lot more control over post-cure heat.
It seems that there is confusion between cure to handling and post-cure heat. Cure to handling can be shortened by half for every 10 Degree F increase in temperature. That is the sole advantage of adding heat while you cure your skis.
To achieve full cure and maximum properties epoxies need a post-cure heat. This is not the same as adding more heat while the ski is setting up. It is in this phase of production that the epoxy completely cures and it is important and can be fairly complicated.
I believe that a better solution is to use a Bis A epoxy/vinyl-ester hybrid epoxy system. While they have some poly-styrene in them, the smell is a small price to pay for the increased performance.
I am not certain who now makes this product, but I believe it can still be had under a different name from Ashland. I just always ask for 8084 and they tell me the latest name for it. Here is a site with its technical properties. http://www.ashland.com/Ashland/Static/D ... 208084.pdf
It is easy to tune the pot-life and a bunch of other properties too. It has the advantage in that most fiberglass and carbon fiber is not available with epoxy sizing, whereas almost all are highly compatible with 8084. This results in a much higher resin to glass bond.
This site http://www.huntsman.com/performance_pro ... amines.pdf
Is an excellent source to find out how different curatives and additives and gives you information on the resultant properties of different suggested formulations using Bisphenol A or F epoxy systems. I have used hundreds of thousands of pounds of these formulations and they always work beyond my expectations.
Ardalite, is a brand name of various Bis A and F epoxies with different properties. They are very high quality products and David Alexander at Huntsman is a great source of advice in putting together great combinations of resins and curatives.
I hope this helps some.
Cheers,
Bloefeld
Those links are awesome! Here goes a few more hours of my life
"86% of the time it works 100% of the time".
Re: Huntsman
Downloaded and saved in my repo.!Brazen wrote:
Those links are awesome! Here goes a few more hours of my life
The other thing is the versatility of the product. The Derakane 8084 is the base but the end user is able to mix their own masterbatch with various additives (initiators, promoters, accelerators, retarders, UV protection, surfactants (better wetout) antifoam agents(less bubbles), etc. giving control of a number of characteristics of the final product. I’m no expert but if you want to control your process and material this looks like the stuff to use. C.