Making epoxy more Viscous

Re: Making epoxy more Viscous

John K Jordan

When I had a small metallography lab I ran into that when potting a test sample. Thermal run-away from the exothermic curing plus my heating smoked the thing and turned it into a black, smoldering cracked chunk. I heard it start to crack from across the room. The larger the volume, the greater chance it will self destruct!

As for thinning, I found this on a can of Xylene yesterday:

"Xylene can be used in place of Toluene to thin specified oil-based paint, lacquer, varnish, epoxy, adhesives and synthetic enamels when a slower rate of evaporation is desired."

I also saw this interesting article from West Systems:

http://www.westsystem.com/ss/thinning-west-system-epoxy/

Do you use a vacuum chamber? I always used one in the lab to pull the air out and suck the epoxy in. Vacuum until the bubbles slow down then open to atmospheric.

JKJ

Re: Making epoxy more Viscous

Chuck Engstrom

I've had good results filling small cracks with System Three Clear Coat. It's much less viscous than West, and has a long pot life, so I can continue to dribble into cracks from a single small volume mix and get good penetration. I measure with used insulin hypodermics to be accurate in small volumes and end up not wasting much at all, if any.

I'd always heard warming was the best way

Dick Coers

Putting your mixing bowl, with just the resin, in a pan of warm water thins it out. It also accelerates the setting once you add the harder, so be ready.

Re: Making epoxy more Viscous

john lucas

I've used system 3 very successfully to get into the smallest cracks. I just don't have any right now and it's not inexpensive.

I have that brochure- thanks John

Think you actually wanted it less viscous?

Re: Think you actually wanted it less viscous?

adrien coblentz

Viscous:

having a thick, sticky consistency between solid and liquid; having a high viscosity.

Re: Think you actually wanted it less viscous?

Brad Vietje

UM -- YES. Less viscous = more watery, thinner. More viscous = thicker, goopier, more like peanut butter.

Safe spinning,

Brad Vietje

Newbury, VT

Re: Making epoxy more Viscous

William Duffield

suck the epoxy in?

I'm being picky, but what is really happening is the air that is let back into the chamber pushes the epoxy back into the cracks and voids, since the air that is at that point sealed in by the epoxy is at lower than atmospheric pressure.