frozen epoxy

[Caledonia]

Wondering if the Mas epoxy that I left out in our unheated equipment shed this winter has been compromised by temps that reached down as low as 38 below (Fahrenheit)? The consistency looks normal.

[dmede]

my guess is that it prolonged its shelf life (assuming no cracks occured that let fresh air circulate through the cans).

mix a few drops at the required ratio and test glue some scraps together. or just let it set up in a puddle.

[ 04-14-2005, 02:47 PM: Message edited by: dmede ]

[JimConlin]

Some epoxies will form crystals if they get too cold. The crystals will re-dissolve if the epoxy is warmed. I use a large washtub of hot water for warming a 5 gallon jug. A bucket would be OK for a gallon jug.
If you have pumps, i'd disassemble and clean them thoroughly.

[Figment]

The consistency looks normal coming out of the pumps, or it looks normal down in the bottom of the jug?

I had a gallon of resin go cloudy at the bottom a few weeks ago (sheesh, the ONE night I don't bring the goo inside when I'm finished!). Though the stuff coming out of the pump looked fine, the curing time became rather.... less predictable.
Ten minutes in a makeshift double-boiler did the trick.

[plyboat]

I talked to MAS about the stuff actually freezing and there is no problem with freezing, unless it starts to get cloudy in which case you will need to heat it up to get it clear again.
---Joel---

[paul oman]

We store all our epoxies (hundreds of gallons) in an unheated garage in central NH. Only the unpigmented epoxies sometimes crystalize. It is suppose to happen in cold conditions but I've seen it more often in 'warm' 50-60 degree, conditions. Some brands of clear epoxies crystalize more than others, and different epoxies seem to crystalize differently from each other.

paul oman
progressive epoxy polymers.