Can anyone recommend a tack spray adhesive (preferably available in Australia) for use with Epoxy infusion. 3M Super 77 seems to get mentioned a lot but it sounds like it affectes the surface finish. Cytec Aerofix 3, from what I can determine, is intended for Polyester and Vinyl-ester resins, plus elite composites don't seem to be in business any more to supply it...

Thanks

Dave

You can get Aerofix 3 from Lavender Composites in Aus, but be aware that it will likely still affect surface finish with epoxy. I tried numerous epoxies with it and only had decent results with one. 

Looks like I'm sticking with the super 77.

IMC stands for in-mould coating. So it is any coating of any sort, could be a gelcoat, could be a polyurethane, could be a polyester, etc. The difference between an IMC and a regular coating is the fact that it is formulated to remain bondable after application, so you can apply it to your mould and then layup straight on it and achieve a very strong bond. A regular coating MAY not achieve a good bond with the laminate. 

I need to buy some more tack spray and am looking for possible alternatives to Cytec Aerofix 3, which I have been using.
You are correct that you can get Cytec Aerofix 3 from Lavender, in fact, as far as I know, they are the sole distributor. Problem is that I am not in Qld, so this product attracts a hazardous good surcharge on the freight, which greatly increases the per can price.
As I understand it, Cytec Aerofix 3 is specifically designed for composites work and the adhesive breaks down during an infusion (I am using vinylester).

3M Super 77 seems to be a general purpose spray adhesive, so I am concerned about how this would compare. It is cheaper than Cytec Aerofix 3 and does not attract a hazardous goods surcharge for shipping, which are both good things.

Hanaldo, you said that you only use the 3M Super 77 now.
Can you please tell me why?

You pretty much summed it up. 

3M super 77 has been used as a spray tack for a long time before the dedicated composites spray tacks hit the market.  Generally used as sparingly as possible, you won't have any problems with impact on the finished laminate structurally.  If you use too much, you could potentially have issues with interlaminar strength, especially if you use it for each layer. 

Surface wise, cosmetically all spray tacks leave some surface marring - the level of which is generally down to how much it is used, so use sparingly for minimal cosmetic impact. 

Warren Penalver
Easy Composites / Carbon Mods - Technical Support Assistant

I have just bought some tins of the 3M Super 77 spray adhesive and will do some testing to see if it works for me. If not I will need to go back to the Cytec Aerofix 3, but that is more than double the price, so I hope the 3M stuff works out.