Hey guys let see if you can help me, I am trying to skinned a product, with carbon firbre, I was told to add catalyst to epoxy. Do this really needed? what is the sense of adding catalyst to epoxy if the epoxy is a laminar glue

it will not work without the catalyst. and it must be mixed thoroughly as well or it will never fully cure as well.

CarbonFiberCreations

Iam not one for giving advice,but I would suggest some people read the basics of understanding epoxys and polyester resins and the difference in the way they work regarding catalyst mixing,shrinkage rates and applications,I think before using carbon and the cost of the materials,I would recommend a book from blue gee,most off it is basic but very understanding for a novice.

Thank you very much for your quick responds...
According to the seller, he told me that the epoxy contain 3 component, that there is no need for catalyst. I am new to firbre carbon and epoxy, I would like to be sure of what I am doing before I made a mistake

Polyester can be added up to 5%.epoxy are mixed by weight and catalyst,harderner have to be accurate with in the manufactures ratios.

You are talking about two rasin here right, polyester and epoxy?
what I understood, Polyester dosen't need catalyst hardener and Epoxy does. Do you mean that Epoxy need 5% of hardener by weight?


cheers

Dei

both need hardener.
MEKP is the hardener added to the ratio required for each resin.  each resin will have instructions  for what the hardener amount is .

CarbonFiberCreations

I go so far in mixing that I always double cup just to make sure its thoroughly mixed. By that I mean, I mix thoroughly in one cup and then pour the mix into another clean cup and continue mixing with a new stick. Why you might ask? I have got burn't  with polyester gelcoat not being mixed thoroughly. The result is what I call cancer (crocodile skin, wrinkles etc)
Epoxy is so expensive I feel it worth the added insurance of a complete mix.
Hope this helps.
Fred

i have a piece i cast that was not fully mixed...a year and a half and it is ok to handle but if it gets warm it gets soft and pliable.
for CF that is a FAIL and a huge waste of money and time.
yes mix like a madman and double cup and new stick it.

CarbonFiberCreations

A polyester resin contains all the componants needed to make the finished solid plastic.  However it wont react on its own to polymerise, it is also a thermosetting plastic. The adding of the catalyst MEKP promotes the exothermic reaction that causes the chain linking to begin resulting in a solid plastic.

Epoxy resins come in two seperate componants. No catalysts are needed.  The two componants when mixed will react with each other to crosslink and polymerise into a solid plastic.