Talk Composites - The Forum for Advanced Composites

Epoxy Pigment & UV Stability

http://www.talkcomposites.com/Topic19498.aspx

By Ham Gat - 10/10/2015 7:06:33 AM

I am considering using Epoxy Coating Resin to coat some exterior woodwork (marine ply fascias) in the expectation that it will have a very long life (20+ years) especially when compared to traditional paint finishes.

  1. I want it black.  Can I use gel-coat pigment (which I have) or do I need to use epoxy-specific pigment?
  2. I understand that epoxy is not UV stable.  Does that mean that the epoxy can fail under natural light or simply that it does not retain its clear colour (which is of no consequence to me as I want to pigment it in black)?

Many thanks.
By Hanaldo - 10/23/2015 5:57:32 AM

All epoxies are UV sensitive. Some have additives to help but even they still degrade. 

The reason people use it with carbon is because it is the best, strongest resin with virtually no shrink. Shrinkage is a killer when it comes to panel gaps, so it's especially good for vehicle panels as they will resist deformation the best. It's also stiffer and stronger and bonds better than polyesters and vinyl esters.