Epoxy: Epichorahydrin And Bisphenol A

An epoxy is a polymer that contains the functional group epoxide. The epoxide group is formed as ether within a three-ring atom. These atoms form a triangular shape, which will create a strain on the functional group. The strain within the group makes epoxides unstable and highly combustible. When an epoxide group reacts with itself or with a catalyst or crosslinking agent, it will cure to become an epoxy resin. Epoxy resins are durable, chemical and stain resistant, mechanically strong, heat and weather resistant, easily cleaned, and cost efficient as benefits to the utilization of epoxy resins. The most common combination to create epoxy resin is Epichorahydrin and Bisphenol A. This creates a base resin (n=1 to 15). Epoxy resin catalysts usually fall into one of four categories, aliphatic and cycloaliphatic amines and polyamine, amides and polyamides, cycloaliphatic, and amine adducts. The curing agent selection plays the major role in determining many of the properties of the final cured epoxy such as drying time, penetration, wetting ability and pot life. In terms of efficiency, amine-curing agents are more durable and chemical resistant than amide curing agents. However, they can turn ‘blush' when exposed to moist conditions. Blushing (or water spotting) takes place when moisture goes through condensation on
The applications for synthetic polymers fall into the main categories of thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers and synthetic fibers. Epoxy falls in the thermoset category. It begins in a soft solid or viscous liquid in the prepolymer state. Once the two parts react during polymerization, the epoxy resin will become hard and brittle as it begins to cure. Epoxy resin polymers cross-link together during the curing process to form an irreversible chemical bond. Meanwhile, cons found in epoxy resins are their inability to be recycled, and to be remolded or reshaped once