When it comes to flooring, woodcrafting, molding etc, epoxy resin is a must needed product. Its versatile nature.
Epoxy resin is also known as synthetic or polyepoxide resins. People have been using this resin for ages to paint or varnish their day to day appliances.
You also have perhaps been using this for your daily applications. But have you ever wondered if epoxy resin is safe? Do you foster the question : is epoxy resin flammable?
If you have ever wanted to know about epoxy resin’s flammability, you are in the right place.
Contents
What is Epoxy Resin?
Resins are of various types. These types include polyester resins, epoxy resins, casting resins and so on. They are different from one another according to their distinctive chemical ingredients and various features. Among them Epoxy resin and polyester resin are two well-known types.
Epoxy belongs to the class of basic components of epoxy resins. These resins are a kind of reactive prepolymers and polymers that contain epoxide groups. Epoxy is also a collective name for an epoxide functional group.
Nowadays, the organic components coming together to produce epoxy resins find their origin in sugar and corn. Producers of epoxy no longer make use of petroleum in the production of this type of synthetic resins polymer.
Epoxy resin has got renown for its remarkable resistance power to cracking and wearing. This type of resin is the widely used one for business or family purposes.
What Does Cured Epoxy Resin mean?
When a curing agent modifies or changes a resin in order to make it suitable for a particular application, it becomes a cured epoxy resin. It’s a kind of cured resin that meets the required criterion to suit certain daily appliances.
The hardening process requires mixing the resin with a curing agent and thus it helps to evoke a desired effect. There is a great deal of difference between a cured resin and a normal one. Flammability of epoxy resin depends much on whether it is cured or not.
Is Epoxy Resin Flammable?
We have already mentioned that the combustibility of epoxy resin depends mostly on its curability. So, when this type of resin remains as usual or is not cured, it plays the role of a combustible polymer.
Epoxy resin yields to catching fire when not cured. But once it is cured with the help of chemicals that resist fire, it possesses the power of being non-flammable. Cured epoxy resin is not likely to catch fire at a certain level of heat.
While curing the epoxy resin you might notice some sorts of smoke coming out of it. This smoke is actually misleading. It might make you believe that epoxy resin can’t resist fire whereas it can in reality. The misleading smoke is nothing but the gas coming out as a natural outcome of the curing process.
Moreover, it’s true that epoxy resins get exposed to high heats at the time of its curing process. But this temperature that you require to cure it is insufficient for the resin to catch fire. So, no worries.
What to be Careful of When Using Epoxy Resin?
However, the applications to which epoxy resin is applied won’t be fire resistant only because they are varnished by it. Almost everything when exposed to a great deal of heat will burn.
Therefore it’s wise not to let the epoxy resins applied appliances come closer to high temperatures. Otherwise it might result in undesirable consequences.
So, if we sum this up, it says that epoxy resin is not flammable and comparatively safe when it is cured.
Uses of Epoxy Resin
As a sticky substance epoxy resin plays a versatile role in both family and business lives. People use this adhesive for various purposes. They widely use these resins in construction projects.
You can apply epoxy resins on the surfaces of different applications like woods, concrete substances, floors, art works etc. This adhesive has the ability not only to repair cracks but also to protect appliances that yield to corrosion.
So, you can apply epoxy resin to protect different parts like the steel bolts of your building from corrosion. Also, you can apply it in the kitchen, bathroom, or staircases.
Because of its water resistant quality, you can use epoxy resin in your ships and boats. You can effortlessly cover the surfaces of your boats with this water resistant adhesive that is non slippery at the same time.
Is Epoxy Resin safe?
You will find epoxy resin safer than most of the synthetic resins available in the market. But as you know everything has both pros and cons, epoxy resin also entails some health issues to the human body and some toxic elements to the environment.
Being located near a stream or a river, epoxy resin causes harm to the life forms living there. As we produce epoxy not from natural ingredients but from petroleum products, it can greatly affect aquatic life and thus be responsible for adverse effects on the environment.
Epoxy resin containing different harmful ingredients poses a threat to human health. One such ingredient included in epoxy resin is dioxin that may cause cancer. Another ingredient namely asbestos fibers is responsible for lung cancer.
The animals living around a factory producing epoxy resins get affected the most. However, it’s a matter of great relief that a good number of factories have started producing epoxy resins naturally.
They are using natural ingredients in the production of those resins. As the ingredients have their origin in nature, the bad effect on the environment and the health issues will remarkably be lessened. Therefore, it’s advisable that you be wise and choosey while buying the best resins for you.
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FAQs
Can Epoxy Resin catch fire?
Not cured epoxy resins are likely to catch fire. But when we properly cure it, it does not normally catch fire. Thoroughly cured epoxy resins are non combustible.
What temperature can Epoxy endure?
The limit of the temperatures that epoxy resin can endure is between 150 to 300 degrees fahrenheit. However, specially produced resins can endure up to 600 degrees fahrenheit.
Can I use my hairdryer to dry resin?
Surely you can. To dry resin fast you just need to plug in your hairdryer and apply it on to the resin. But be careful not to blow the hair dryer too hard to make the resin too warm.
Final words
By now, we hope you have got the answer to your query. Hope the discussion above was helpful enough to help you get out of all the confusion over epoxy resin and its ins and outs.
So, the bottom line is that the answer of the question (is epoxy resin flammable?) lies in whether it is cured or not. If not cured epoxy resin catches fire.
On the contrary, it is a non combustible polymer when it is properly cured by curing properties. So, cure epoxy resin thoroughly in order to avoid any hassle over its flammability.