Epoxy Resin Viscosity – Epoxy Resins are used in a wide variety of applications, from the decorative to the printed circuit board (PCB). Getting the viscosity right can be the difference between success and failure.
Epoxy Resin Viscosity – What is Epoxy Resin?
Epoxy resins can trace their origins back to the 1930’s. At least, that’s when the first patents started to appear. They are a type of polymer that can be hardened from a liquid state to a solid state by adding co-reactants, making them extremely useful in a wide range of applications.
Today, many people will be familiar with epoxy resins from decorative work – used to fill gaps in wood to form flat surfaces – or with trinkets and jewellery where an object is suspended in a clear solid. However, their high thermal and corrosive resistance make them useful in printed circuit boards, coating metals, LED lights, fibre reinforcement and general adhesives.
Epoxy Resin Viscosity – Why is is important?
The base resin is in liquid form and requires mixing with a co-reactant. The resulting liquid mix will start to harden and its ability to coat or fill the void will be highly dependent upon its viscosity. The temperature of the resin will also affect the hardening process, and this itself will affect the epoxy resin viscosity.
Measuring epoxy resin viscosity is an important element in quality control. It needs to be just right and manufacturers need to ensure that they have tested the base resin to ensure the viscosity fits within a specific range.
Measuring Resin Viscosity – Method
A typical method for measuring epoxy resin viscosity is the Cone & Plate Viscometer. The viscometer should ideally be able to measure the viscosity at different temperatures and at different rates of shear. The ATAC NuLine Cone & Plate Viscometer is ideal for this measurement.
The Viscometer is fitted with a peltier heating element and the exact temperature can be chosen, right up to 230 degrees Centigrade. The sample is placed upon a tungsten carbide plate and a tungsten carbide cone is lowered onto the sample. The viscous nature of the resin against the spinning come will create a measurable torque, and this force can be translated into the viscosity.
Tungsten Carbide is used as it is extremely hard-wearing compared to stainless steel. Only the ATAC NuLine Cone & Plate Viscometer utilises tungsten carbide for both its cones and its plates.
Find out more – Measuring Viscosity
You can learn more about our Cone & Plate Viscometer by clicking the link below. Otherwise, you can contact us for a brochure by emailing sales@atacgroup.com or by phoning our team on +44 (0)1380 818411. As always, we look forward to hearing from you.
Photos courtesy of Maryna Yazbeck (Feature Image), Douglas Bagg (resin board), & Ludovico Ceroseis (PCB)
