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Warren (Staff)
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We can trace an exact expiry date through the batch number but for this resin it is 6 months from date of manufacture which, due to us having very short turnaround times means you can assume 6 months from ordering. Also in practice, most resins will, if kept properly, still work after the expiry date but the properties will begin to degrade the older the resin is. Some resins last a long time (eg most epoxies) and others less - PU's and polyesters for example.
Warren Penalver
Easy Composites / Carbon Mods - Technical Support Assistant
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Jimmyb
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+xThe shelf life of the P6 is 6 months so at 2 years old, age of the product could almost certainly be the issue. Warren, many thanks, looks like its time to buy a fresh batch. P.S. I there a date best before or similar on the package, i don't seem to be able to locate one.
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Warren (Staff)
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The shelf life of the P6 is 6 months so at 2 years old, age of the product could almost certainly be the issue.
Warren Penalver
Easy Composites / Carbon Mods - Technical Support Assistant
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Jimmyb
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Hi I am having problems with bubbles in my Xencast P6 castings. I read through the forum for answers first, and can confirm that the temperature and humidity would seem normal, as I am doing the casting in the home. The product I have is now 2 years old, and when first used I would have the occasional bubble in the casting, which I would expect, however the last few casting are literally covered in bubbles looking almost like an "Aero" chocolate bar.
Though I cannot see a "best by" date on the product, I was wondering if the issue is age, many thanks for your assistance.
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Warren (Staff)
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Sometimes this time of year, condensation cure moulds can end up with a bit of moisture in them. If warmed up to room temperature then they should not be a problem.
Warren Penalver
Easy Composites / Carbon Mods - Technical Support Assistant
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moeggesit
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+xI would say 15C or below is low. Ideally 20C is the ballpark for most resins to perform at their best. It is unusual for their to be a lot of bubbles in the P2 resin system , hence Rich asking if you had P6 as the P6 is more moisture and mixing sensitive. The P2 is fairly forgiving as fast cast PU resins go, however it can still be effected by moisture and mixing issues. Everything is done at an ambient of approx. 20C using dry plastic containers so there should not be any moisture. It's stirred to avoid ingress of bubbles. Would it help to warm it up before or during mixing/casting? Should the silicone moulds be heated to release moisture? How do you remove moisture? How do you mix without introducing bubbles. The bubbles form during curing process and is consistent throughout the final mould.
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Warren (Staff)
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I would say 15C or below is low. Ideally 20C is the ballpark for most resins to perform at their best.
It is unusual for their to be a lot of bubbles in the P2 resin system , hence Rich asking if you had P6 as the P6 is more moisture and mixing sensitive.
The P2 is fairly forgiving as fast cast PU resins go, however it can still be effected by moisture and mixing issues.
Warren Penalver
Easy Composites / Carbon Mods - Technical Support Assistant
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moeggesit
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+xJust to check, is this Xencast P2 or P6? Rich, It is P2 and otherwise perfect for the application. I don't actually mind which one as long as it does not have bubbles in it! Is there normally bubbles present in the P2 or is it a defect when bubbles appear? I expect it should be possible to get Bubble free castings, I just don't know how to eliminate them.
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Rich (Staff)
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Just to check, is this Xencast P2 or P6?
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moeggesit
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+xIt depends on the cause. Humidity can cause the P2 to have bubbles in as can low temperatures. Be sure to have thoroughly mixed the sediment into the mixture before using the resin and also giving it a good mix. All can help prevent issues with the resin. Warren, Thank you, what is considered low temperature and what would be the ideal temperature? Is there another fairly ridged resin that would give a better finish/ consistency and a opaque pigmented finish? The pigment and sediment (saturated in the bottom of "A") is mixed thorough before adding "B". The mixing action however also introduce some bubbles? Which methods can be employed to eliminate the bubbles?
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