Always use the exact amounts of hardener or catalyst specified by the manufacturer or the resin will not cure properly.
Is epoxy a kind of vinyl polyester.
That makes epoxy resin usually the best choice for fiberglass repair work.
There are three main types of boat building resins.
This is oversimplified but it does help convey the qualities of the resin.
The less mekp added the longer the pot life working time will be.
They are used for gluing fiber glassing moisture sealing and coating or encapsulating.
As a general rule the tensile strength of a polyester bond will be around 20 percent weaker than the same bond made with epoxy.
Unlike epoxy resin polyester and vinyl ester cure time can be manipulated by the amounts of mekp added.
Due to the type of material and ease of distribution the polyester stickers can be used as a cost effective solution when choosing adhesives for promos or campaigns in order to make a big impact.
If it is not then poor curing and adhesion may result.
As jeff wright wrote in polyester over epoxy in epoxyworks 22.
The applying procedure involves the preparing of the mixture preparing of the surface the applying and curing of the mixture and the final cleaning.
Epoxy vinyl ester and polyester resins.
The majority of commercial vinyl polyester resins are derived from bisphenol a diglycidyl ether dgeba as the epoxy component and acrylic or methacrylic acid as the vinyl monomer in the polymer.
A hardener for epoxy or catalyst for polyester vinyl ester for activating the resin and ensuring that it eventually cures to a hard plastic material.
Like polyester resins they require mekp as a catalyst to cure or harden.
Vinyl ester falls between polyester and epoxy on price most physical properties and handling qualities.
Many high strain repair areas and lightweight parts must flex and strain without micro fracturing.
These are cheaper than epoxy resins and more expensive than polyester.
Polyester is an adequate adhesive but not as good as epoxy.
Polyester materials can be affected by amines in the epoxy hardener.
Vinyl ester resins are formulated with a base of polyester resin strengthened with epoxy molecules a hybrid form of polyester and epoxy and aiding for gelcoat to bond with epoxy and also use peroxides such as mekp for hardening.
In the case where a part originally manufactured utilizing polyester or vinylester has yielded to strain and cracked a well reinforced epoxy repair will tenaciously hold to the substrate with 2000 psi strength vinylester.
Typically catalyst is used between 1 25 to 1 75 1 2 3 ounce to 2 1 3 ounces per gallon.
We know polyester gelcoat can be used over west system epoxy.
There are a couple of exceptions.
As with many products the surface must be prepared properly.
The properties of the cross linked resin depend on the type of epoxy and vinyl monomer reactive diluent used and their relative amounts.
Vinyl ester resins are often considered a cross between polyester resins and epoxy resins.