An introduction to epoxy resins

2 min read

Things can break, leak, crack, come loose or shatter at any time around your home. The only way to be prepared for any or all of these eventualities is to equip yourself with a vast array of tools and materials to help patch things up as soon as possible.

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The average homeowner will often look for professional help if they are unsure how to approach a particular mishap; however, we know that this can be extremely costly and – more often than not – unnecessary. Many people have no clue where to start with their arsenal of go-to tools and substances, but one material that is worthwhile having in your house at all times is epoxy resin.

What is epoxy resin?

Epoxy resin is a durable, waterproof, bonding adhesive that can be used for a huge variety of tasks within the home and even the industrial sector.

Discovered in the 1930s, epoxy resins fast became widely used. Epoxy is a material produced when a hardening agent is mixed into a thermosetting epoxide polymer, which is known as ‘curing’ when the polymer molecules are cross-linked. This makes the soft epoxy harden into a stiff substance, proving extremely waterproof. It is commonly used as a coating and a waterproofing tool across all sorts of industries.

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Epoxy resin characteristics

Epoxy resins have the capacity to take on the properties of a wide variety of industrial treatments, which means they can be very slow setting (curing) or very fast setting. They can be extremely solid or they can remain relatively flexible. They can appear transparent or be coloured to any hue possible. Epoxy resins are incredibly versatile, meaning they can be used to suit the exact job required.

Epoxy resin can be used as a highly-effective adhesive, known as a ‘structural adhesive’. It can hold immense force and is effective on a huge range of materials, including plastic, stone and wood. It is even a metal bonding adhesive. While some other adhesives will struggle to hold the weight of metals together or stick to the surface well, epoxy resin products from manufacturers such as ct1ltd.com/product-applications/metal-to-metal-adhesive are capable of handling these stresses.

When you come across a breakage or leak within your home, epoxy resin has almost unlimited uses. Make sure you have this invaluable material to hand.

 

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