Knowing the Difference between Clear Epoxy Glue and Clear Epoxy Resin

The epoxy adhesives are primarily a group of high-performance bonding agents, which include polyurethane, acrylic and cyanoacrylate among others. The differences among the various kinds of these adhesives mainly depend on their utilization purposes. The variations are done with the aid of hardeners that can make these adhesives opaque or transparent. These adhesives can be utilized to bond anything – steel, wood, glass, stone and even aircraft and boats parts.

Clear Epoxy Glue 
This glue is an adhesive mostly utilized for industrial applications. It is made up of two-parts i.e. liquid and powder. The proportions of these two-parts depend on your requirement like, how tough and swift to dry adhesive is required? One of the important industrial uses of this glue is in the jewellery industry, particularly, jewellery made out of plastic. In addition, this clear glue is utilized on large-scale for bonding of wood, glass and steel among other materials.

Clear Epoxy Resin: 
This resin is also an adhesive, but it is utilized as super-high gloss. A single coat of this resin equals as many as thirty coats of regular varnish. This is why these resins are utilized for the final touches on almost anything – stone, clocks, leather, plaques and ceramics etc. These clear resins are ideal for polished surface bar counters and tabletops.

Clear Epoxy Glue vs. Clear Resin –

Difference in their Uses 
The fundamental difference between Epoxy Glue and Clear Resin is their application or utilization. While the clear glue is usually utilized to bond products on small and large-scales, the clear resin is utilized more like a last finish coat, which enhances the appearance of the product. The clear glue can easily be manipulated by adjusting the proportions of the liquid hardener and powder epoxy into an adhesive, which dries slowly or swiftly, turns elastic or hard or into moulds for making plastic models. The resin is utilized to make a super-glossy, glass-type finish on any item – usually stone or wood.

Difference in their Application 
The clear glue, though a brilliant adhesive, which can be utilized to bond any kind of surface, is just an adhesive. However, clear resin also protects the surface it coats from rot (the chemical properties of this resin facilitates it to mingle in woods while it bond to it; hence, making it fungus proof), from water (it is water repellent) and from scratches (it hardens to turn into a glass-type surface).

Rendezvous with Basic Dyes – Known For Providing Bright Colors to Textiles

Whenever the discussion of Basic dyes starts, the very first sentence is often, “they are colored aromatic compounds.” These dyes are water-soluble cationic dyes that are primarily applied to acrylic fibres, but find some usage for silk and wool as well. These dyes are highly praised for their ability to produce brighter colors on textile. There are extremely bright dyes, which are commonly synthetic.
Basic dyes are named so because they are organic bases or salts, and are referred to as cationic dyes because in solution the dye molecules ionizes, causing its colored element to turn into an action of positively charged radical.
Properties:

• The amazing properties of cationic dyes are intensity and brilliance of their colors
• Many of these dyes are meagrely soluble in water
• These dyes are readily soluble in mentholated spirit and alcohol
• One important property of these dyes is that it can combine with tannic acid to create an insoluble compound provided mineral acid is not present.
• When treated with a reducing agent, most of these dyes are converted into their colors less leuco compounds, which can return to their original shade via oxidizing agents or exposure to air.
• The wet fastness of cationic dyes on protein fibres can be enhanced by back tanning.
• The brightness and quality of colors obtained with these dyes are amazing and unparallel
• It is advised not to use these dyes on cotton owing to the non-plainer structure of cotton and its incompetency for sufficient affinity.
  

Uses of cationic dyes:

• The dyes are utilized for wooden goods when specifically bright colors are needed that cannot be availed with acid dyes
• They are used for making typewriter ribbons, inks and dyeing leather.
• Basic dye does not possess affinity for cellulosic fibres like cotton. However, bright shades are required on cotton that can only be achieved by using cationic dyes.
• They are applied to silk, modified acrylic fibres and wool
• They are used for coloring dry flowers, cut flowers, coir and jute.
• Are used for coloration of paper
  

Modified Basic Dyes
The all-new improvised dyes, based on an identical chemistry of cationic dyes, display a bit lengthier molecular structures as compared to conventional cationic dyes, and results in substantially improved properties. Their key benefits over conventional cationic dyes are:

• Outstanding substantivity
• Covers all fibres
• Better Light fastness
• Clear backwaters
  

In case, the reason behind the success of basic dye is assessed, it would be noted that the positively charged cations of these dyes becomes attracted towards the negatively charged anions in the acrylic fibre. Some major examples of cationic dyes are basic fuchsia safranin, crystal violet and methylene blue etc.

Use Epoxy Resin for Fine Adhesion and High Stability

Epoxy, along with its incredible range of applications, has been extensively used since 1950s. Many books were written about these adhesives and its usages in the 70s, but since then myriad changes have happened in, both, its formulation and uses. As of 2011, the epoxy resin industry amounts to over $15 billion in North America and about $25 billion across the world. In the current times, epoxy users have become highly sophisticated and expect more from these adhesives for which they spend their money. 

Overview
These adhesives are thermosetting polymer created from the reaction of epoxide 'resin' with the polyamine 'hardener.' These resins are used in a range of applications, including general use adhesives and fiber-reinforced plastic materials. Furthermore, they are a class of synthetic resins commonly utilized to make adhesives and plastics. They are highly acclaimed for their splendid adhesion, toughness, durability and high- resistance to heat and chemicals.
 Applications
Functions of these resins are fundamental across numerous industries – it is used in glues, ad infinitum, putties and paints. 

Paints and Coatings
Two-part epoxy coatings were formed for heavy-duty employment on metal surfaces and utilized less energy as compared to heat-cured powder coatings. They dry swiftly providing a durable protective coating with outstanding solidity. Their low volatility and easy water clean-up makes them bulls-eye for factory cast aluminum, cast iron and cast steel. They are widely used in automobile and industrial applications because they are more heat-resistant as compared to alkali-based and latex-based paints. 

Foams
Epoxy resins are utilized to form lightweight, sturdy, foamy structures boasting of excellent insulation properties. Moreover, they are specifically utilized for foam-in-place applications in the casting and 'potting' process. These resins are prod

Construction
These resins are now utilized as binders in materials employed for construction. Typically, a 2-parts system consisting of diluents, thickening agents, fillers, curing agents and resins is used. They are utilized to bond concrete and to generate industrial smooth slender-set terrazzo floors. This application has been extended to the construction of buildings, roads and filling up the cracks in concrete structures. 

Adhesives
The versatile characteristics of these resins make them extremely valuable as adhesives in military and civilian applications. Approximately 5% of total epoxy production is consumed as adhesive in a range of structural applications. These adhesives create strong bonds with all kinds of surfaces, with the exception of some non-polar surfaces. 

Laminates
Laminated epoxy based insulations are widely utilized as rods, tubes and sheets. Paper, polyaramid fabric or sheets of woven glass with the B-stage epoxies are laminated in multiple pattern presses. In addition, they are utilized in preparing assemblies of polyaramid fibers or copper-clad glass for printed circuit boards in the electronics sector.

These resins can be bought from hardware store, marine supply outlets, hobby shops, craft stores or online. However, when using epoxy resin, it is essential to follow certain safety measures. A person must work in a well-ventilated area and prevent inhaling the fumes of the product. He should also wear gloves and shades to protect his skin and eyes.

A Rendezvous with the Applications of Epoxy in Commercial and Domestic World

Epoxy, also referred to as poly-epoxide is a thermostatic polymer formed via a reaction of a polyamine “hardener” with epoxide “resin”. This chemical compound is a co-polymer; that means, it is formed from 2-different chemicals, and they are referred to as resins and hardener. This chemical compound boasts of a gamut of applications, including general purpose adhesives and fiber-reinforced plastic materials.

Application of Epoxies: Listed below are some of the major applications of it:

Adhesives:
Poly-epoxide adhesives are an eminent part of the class of adhesives known as 'engineering adhesives' or 'structural adhesives'. These high-performance adhesives are utilized in the construction of automobiles, aircraft, snow boards, golf clubs, boats, skis, bicycles, and other applications, where high strength bonds are needed. These adhesives can be formed to suit almost any kind of application. Moreover, they are exceptional adhesives for metal, stone, wood and some plastics.

Coatings and Paintings:
Two-part waterborne epoxies coating are utilized as ambient cure coatings. These non-hazardous, two part coatings are created for hefty duty services on metal stratum and make use of less energy as opposed to heat-cured powder coatings. These systems make use of a more luring 4:1 by volume mixing ratio. The coating dries swiftly rendering a tough, solid, UV resistant, projective coating along with immense hardness and excellent abrasion and mar resistance. They are designed for quick dry protective coating applications.

In addition, ambient part two waterborne epoxy coatings offer superior physical proper; they have superlative adhesion to several metal substrates. Their water cleanup and low volatility indeed makes them an ideal for factory cast aluminum, cast iron and cast steel applications and decreases flammability and exposure issues associated with solvent-borne coatings. They are utilized for automotive and commercial uses since they are high-heat resistant.

Industrial Tooling & Composites:
Polyepoxide systems are utilized in industrial tooling applications in order to produce fixtures, models, castings, laminates, and various other industrial production aids. This 'plastic tooling' substitutes wood, metal and other expensive traditional materials, and generally boosts the efficiency and reduces the overall cost and lead time for ambit industrial processes. In addition, they are utilized in producing composite or fiber-reinforced components. They are generally moire expensive as compared to vinyl ester resins or polyester resins, but produce robust and heat-resistant composite parts.

Art:
Epoxies resin, mingled with pigment is utilized as a painting medium via pouring layers on top of one another to create a complete painting.

The applications of epoxy based materials are magnanimous and include composite materials, adhesives and coatings like those utilizing fiberglass reinforcements and carbon fiber. Moreover, the chemistry of epoxies and the array of commercially available variations facilitate cure polymers to be generated with a gigantic range of properties. In general, this poly-epoxide is known for its good-to excellent mechanical properties, heat and chemical resistance, highly good electrical insulating properties and excellent adhesion.

Merits of Epoxy Resins in Marine Composite Structures

Epoxy resins have been in use for almost a century. Epoxies are versatile polymers and exhibit distinctive blend of properties. In any high-tech structural use, where light weight, durability, low cure shrinkage, strength and stiffness, adhesion electrical insulation and corrosion resistance properties are entailed, resins are regarded as the minimum standard of performance for the matrix of the composite. This is the reason why in aerospace, airplanes, aircrafts, offshore racing boats applications, resins have been the ‘norm’ for years.

Nonetheless, 95% of pleasure boats under sixty feet now are still constructed with polyester resin. The key consideration for materials choice for most composite builders is cost, with value and performance usually being a secondary consideration. As a rule, resins are twice as costly as vinyl ester resins and vinyl ester are twice as costly as polyesters. On the other hand, when considered against the cost of the entire structure (the boat), the cost is fairly insignificant and the value of superior quality and long term benefits of better durability (hence better resale value) can be magnanimous.

Contributing Factors to this Better Value:

Adhesive Properties:
Epoxies have far superior adhesive properties as compared to vinyl and polyester resins. The better adhesion of epoxies is due to 2-key reasons. The first is at the physical level- as epoxy cure with low shrinkage, several surface contacts set up between liquid resin and reinforcement is not disturbed during cure. The outcome is a more homogenous bond between resins and fibres and a better transmission of load between the various components of the matrix. The second one is at molecular level, wherein the presence of polar hydroxyl boosts adhesion.

Mechanical Properties:
Two vital mechanical characteristics of any resin systems are its tensile stiffness and strength. The tensile strength of epoxy resins is 20-30% higher than vinyl ester and polyester. It is to be noted that boats constructed with vinyl or polyester are seldom post cured in the workshop while boats made with epoxies quite often are.

Enhanced Resistance to Micro Cracking and Fatigue:
In majority instances, an appropriately designed hull laminate will never be subjected to its ultimate strength therefore, physical properties of resin matrix, though imperative are not the sole criteria on which the choice has to be made. Long before the final load is transferred and failure occurs, the laminate will reach a stress level, wherein the resin will start to split away from the fibre reinforcements not aligned along with the applied load.

Reduced Degradation from Water Penetration:
A vital property of resin, especially in a marine environment is its capability to resist degradation from water ingress. Both vinyl and polyester are prone to water ingress because of the existence of hydrolysable ester groups in their molecular structures. Consequently, a slender polyester laminate can be anticipated to retain only 65% of its inter-laminate strength after immersion over the tenure of one year. Whereas epoxy resins laminate immersed for an identical time will retain around 90%.

Zinc Borate – Extensively Used Fire Retardant and Smoke Suppressant

Zinc borate (or Zinc Salt, Boron Zinc Oxide, Firebrake ZB or Boric Acid), a non-halogen flame retardant, accredited by Environmental Protection Agency is an inorganic and low toxicity amalgam. It is a vital additive to help achieve brilliant resistance in rubber products. It is a free-flowing white powder, which dissolves easily and swiftly. This chemical can be added to any flame retardant mechanism and it will boost test results with minimum effect on the compound properties.

Moreover, this flame retardant chemical can create a glassy singe at high temperatures that averts flame propagation. It aids in compounding fire-resistant, halogen-free rubber, which emits minimum acidic smoke. It also produces water of hydration identical to ATH. Zinc salt is a synergist with halogenated fire retardants, ATH and antimony oxide.

Applications:
Extensively Used in Flexible PVC:
This flame retardant or Zinc salt is largely utilized in flexible PVC as a partial substitute for antimony oxide like wires and cables, conveyor belts, tenting materials, carpet backing, wall coverings, auto upholstery, roofing membranes and carpet backing. Opposed to antimony trioxide, this chemical has a refractive index identical to that of majority of polymer systems that allows the utilization of lower pigment loading.

Extensively Utilized as Fire Retardant in Elastomers:
Zinc salt is highly utilized as flame retardant and smoke suppressant for applications like roofing membranes, foamed insulation products, wire and cables, conveyer belting and flooring materials. Zinc salt is a flame retardant synergist of halogen sources like tetrabromobisphenol-A, chlorinated resins and decabromodiphenyl oxide. Depending on the form of halogen source being used, Zinc borate is used widely as a flame retardant in epoxies for applications, like intumescent coatings, encapsulation of electrical components and glass-reinforced laminates.

Utilized as Fire-Retardant in Electric Parts, Polyolefin Cables and Wires:
In halogen-comprising systems, Zinc salt is utilized together with antimony oxide, whereas in halogen-free systems, it is generally utilized together with red phosphorous, alumina trihydrate or magnesium hydroxide. It must be noted that the utilization of Zinc salt can improve elongation properties of polyolefins as well.

Offers Enhanced Resistance against Electrical Degradation Processes:
The combination of zinc plus borate moieties renders inimitable functionalities. In addition, the chemical compound performs as synergists along with brominated fire retardants to tailor FR characteristics and CTI. This compound can be utilized in regrinding procedures without any sort of reduction in the original CTI values as well.

Advantages:
The synergy with antimony oxide facilitates half as much antimony oxide to be utilized in order to achieve comparable results. It can substitute antimony oxide as a synergist in rubber and plastics to boost the activity of primary fire retardants by stepwise producing the radicals. As it is becoming increasing apparent that smoke kills as many people as actual fire can, the need for low smoke fire retardant is becoming imperative.

Zinc borate/Zinc salt is a strong anti-bacterial and anti-fungal additive. 2% of it in a compound can render a distinct decrease in mold growth. For more details please logon to http://www.royceintl.com/

Epoxy Resins at Different Viscosities

In the words of Wikipedia, “Epoxy, also known as polyepoxide, is a thermosetting polymer formed from the reaction of an epoxide "resin" with polyamine "hardener". Epoxy has a wide range of applications, including fiber-reinforced plastic materials and general purpose adhesives.” Epoxy is a copolymer comprised of two different types of chemical. Having an epoxide group at either end, it is also referred to as the “hardner.” Epoxy resins are generally formed by the polymerization process that is also referred to as curing.

It was quite common for people to use these resins in the older days for their boat making purposes. These resins not only help in forming a powerful waterproof barrier but also helped in increasing the strength when formulated properly. Today, these resins find their uses in different types of industries. Likewise, these resins can have various uses depending on their chemical properties, especially on the viscosity. In the section below, we have discussed the uses of these resins at different viscosity (with the temperature being maintained constant i.e. at 25 degrees). It needs to be understood that these epoxy resins can be formulated depending on the curing and changes in the viscosity.

1. At viscosity of 400cps to 450cps – This cured resin is formed by reaction between Bis-A Epoxy Resin and Polyglycol di-epoxide. This results in the increase of various properties such as flexibility and that of elongation.
2. At viscosity of 900cps to 1100cps – At this viscosity the resin has increased filler loading. It also leads to better electrical and physical properties. These resins find their applications in places where a resin with good solvent resistance is required to provide resistance.
3. At viscosity of 7500cps to 9000cps – This resin has its application in marine world, flooring and I the industry of civil engineering. The low viscosity of this resin makes it ideal for maintenance.
4. At viscosity of 1500cps to 1800cps – This low viscosity resin has it uses in various places such as high solid coatings, tank linings, civil engineering and in decoupage.
5. At viscosity of 4000cps to 6000cps – This is a type of halogen liquid epoxy due to its low viscosity. It is due to this that they are used in various electrical applications.
6. At viscosity of 10000cps to 16000cps – This is in liquid form and is a standard type of epoxy used in laminations, coats and other adhesive applications.

Epoxy resins are a kind of versatile chemical, which has its uses in variety of fields and application under different viscosities. To know more visit http://www.royceintl.com.