Why Does Epoxy Resin Turn Cloudy & How Nerpa's Products Combat This?
Have you ever noticed that your epoxy resin was 'cloudy' or 'foggy' when it is liquid? If so, then you've probably dealt with the inconvenience of trying to remove the cloudiness from the resin. Let's find out why some resins become cloudy over time, whether it's possible to fix it yourself at home, and why you will never experience this issue with Nerpa's products.
What are those clouds in the resin?
The cloudiness in the epoxy resin is the first sign of the crystallization of the liquid. Just like water below 0 degrees C wants to turn into ice but it does not happen instantaneously, epoxy resin wants to crystallize when it is stored below 55 degrees Celcius (Yes! Liquid epoxy resin wants to become solid at room temperature, but the phenomenon called “super-cooled liquid” keeps it from instant crystallization). In simple terms, just like water, epoxy wants to turn into crystals, but it happens much slower. Storing and shipping resins at colder temperatures (just like in Canada in the October-April period) can speed up the process of crystal formation; this is when you start to see your resin product go foggy and cloudy.
How to fix cloudy resin at home?
To fully get rid of the white crystals and precipitation in the epoxy, you need to warm the liquid up and then keep it at 55 C for 3 hours. It is often recommended by other manufacturers to place a bottle with compromised resin in a bowl with hot tap water. It will certainly improve the visual appearance, as some of the crystals will melt, but this method is insufficient to eliminate the signs of crystallization fully, so there is a strong chance you might lose some optical transparency characteristics as well as the strength of epoxy when it is cured.
Nerpa Polymers crystallization resistant resins.
As we manufacture our resins in Canada, we consider the local climate and make a great effort to protect our products from crystallization issues. Our products have successfully passed the ISO 4895:2014 stress test for keeping their original properties even in the most demanding environments with severe cold weather conditions. All Nerpa Polymers products contain a necessary component to stop the formation of crystals at the molecular level, so you will never have to worry about your project going wrong because of the white clouds and crystals in the resin.
Enjoy a hassle-free resin experience with Nerpa Polymers' products! Leave a comment or send a message to info@nerpa.ca if you want to learn more about our products.
