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Penetrating Epoxies - Similar Test Results
Your Host and Tour Guide:
Paul Oman, MS, MBA - Progressive Epoxy Polymers, Inc.
Member: NACE (National Assoc. of Corrosion Engineers), SSPC (Soc. of Protective Coatings)
"Professionals helping Professionals"
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link/return to commercial site
I must have a greedy streak in me because when I learned the prices being charged for solvent thinned epoxy I wanted
a piece of the ‘penetrating epoxy' market. After a few tests and evaluations, I gave up and posted what I learned
at www.epoxyproducts.com/penetrating4u.html.
I also got excited when I learned some people pay up to almost $300 for a gallon of copper filled epoxy. Wow! ($295
gallon at http://www.copperpoxy.com - this link to Copperpoxy seems to be down as of 4/03). Another opportunity.
Once again, lots of tests and experiments. As with the penetrating epoxies, my sense of right and wrong, has gotten
the better of me. I simply cannot simply add some copper to our epoxy and charge anyone a few hundred dollars for
that small effort. Instead, I'll sell the copper at a fair price and let you add it to your epoxy yourself. This
could literally save you hundreds of dollars while letting me sleep good at night. Copper flake/powder, purchased
at 25 or 50 pounds at a time is not cheap, but only a few pounds per gallon are needed.
So how much copper do you use? What size copper? Which epoxy to use? I performed a series of experiments to find
out.
The epoxy: The thinner the epoxy the better. The 41 micron copper flake we use acts like a thickener. A key issue
becomes adding the copper but not getting the mixture so thick that it leaves brush or roller marks, or even becomes
a paste. Obviously, the thinner the epoxy is to start with, the more copper you can add before it becomes too thick.
The thicker epoxies also lack the uniform ‘new copper penny' look. With the thicker epoxies, the copper color is
more like light and dark copper dots.
We are recommending our Low V epoxy for mixing with the copper.
(Low V in our marine catalog) (Low V in our industrial catalog)
We also recommend adding about a quart of Fumed Silica to the epoxy and copper. When added in bulk, fumed silica
is an epoxy thickener, but when added in small amounts it provides some internal 'gel' properties to the epoxies,
reducing drips and sags that are made worse by the heavy copper pigment. Note that is 'step' is very optional.
If looking for a very very smooth finish don't add the fumed silica as it will provide just the smallest amount
of 'filler bumps' to the mixture.
(fumed silica in our marine catalog) (fumed silica in our industrial catalog)
How much to use? The copper powder is only a bit heavier than the epoxy. Epoxies weight about 9 or 10 pounds per
gallon. A gallon of the copper powder is probably 12-14 pounds. Add between 3 - 6 pounds of copper per gallon of
our 810 epoxy. Three pounds will give you a nice, coppery colored finish without brush marks. At 4 to 6 pounds
of copper you will certainly leave behind brush or roller marks, but you can sand these out.
If using a medium, or standard thickness marine epoxy, you can probably reduce the amount of copper by 20 or 30%.
We offer a special priced Epoxy/Copper package. Find out more about this in our catalog section on fillers, (mix-ins)
under Copper. (copper
in our marine catalog) (copper in our industrial catalog)
DISCLAIMER - WE SELL EPOXIES AND WE SELL COPPER POWDER. WE DO NOT SELL A COPPER EPOXY PAINT OR A URETHANE COPPER
PRODUCT. BLENDING AND MIXING OUR COPPER POWDER WTIH AN EPOXY OR SOME OTHER COATING IS STRICTLY A DECISION OF THE
PURCHASER. WE MAY SUGGEST HOW TO MIX, BUT ONLY AS A STARTING POINT. GETTING A SATISFACTORY BLEND IS STRICTLY TRIAL
AND ERROR AND SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING DIFFERENT FOR EVERYONE WHO ATTEMPTS IT. WE RECOMMEND YOU DO NOT BLEND THESE
PRODUCTS TOGETHER UNLESS YOU ARE WILLING TO EXPERIMENT AND TO ACCEPT THE CONSEQUENCES OF SUCH PERSONAL TESTING.
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A COPPER EPOXY BLEND THAT YOU CAN JUST OPEN THE CAN AND GO, THIS IS NOT THE PLACE NOR PRODUCTS
FOR YOU.
Copper and our Low V epoxy used to create a copper roof on this birdhouse
A third-party reseach article on and about copper boat bottoms. Very informative and interesting, thanks to one of our customers for passing along the link - http://www.copper.org/innovations/2003/Nov2003/Cu_hull_sheathing_gg.htm
ANOTHER IDEA: ADDING THE COPPER POWDER TO AN INEXPENSIVE
MARINE BOTTOM PAINT.....
Web site of someone using this copper with epoxy on a boat bottom (2/03)- CLICK HERE
Already know what you want?
Goto our 1-line product/price summary page MARINE or INDUSTRIAL
Knowledge is Power - We like informed consumers!
Learn the basics of epoxy at our educational EPOXY 101 page - Click Here.
Finally, email us back with your questions or comments before you buy - EMAIL HERE
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