Composite products
made from Atlac® 430LVGT250, a standard epoxy vinyl ester resin used in vacuum infusion processes, exhibit excellent mechanical properties and good heat resistance; they also demonstrate excellent wetting and flow characteristics during processing.
Characteristic Properties
- Excellent mechanical properties
- Excellent chemical resistance and water resistance
- Long-term heat resistance
- Good compatibility with carbon fiber and aramid
- Rapid impregnation, improving efficiency
- CCS and LR certification
Product Properties
Atlac® 430 LV GT 250 is a styrene solution of a pre-accelerated epoxy bisphenol A vinyl ester resin with moderate reactivity and low viscosity.
The Atlac® 430 LV series is available in multiple gel time versions:
Atlac® 430 LV GT 50
and Atlac® 430 LV GT 150
Typical Applications
Atlac® 430 LV GT 250 can be used in glass-fiber-reinforced parts requiring excellent chemical resistance to achieve better mechanical properties. It also exhibits good adhesion to both carbon fiber and aramid and can be used in applications such as: boats, automotive parts, storage tanks, containers, corrosion protection, hydraulic engineering, and sewer pipe repairs.
Atlac® 430 LV GT 250 has very low viscosity, making it suitable for processes such as vacuum infusion and RTM; it has also obtained certification from the China Classification Society (CCS) and Lloyd’s Register (LR).
Product Specifications
| Performance | Value | Unit | Test Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Clear | - | TM 2265 |
| Solid Content | 53–58 | % | TM 2033 |
| Infrared Drying Acid Value | 4–8 | mg KOH/g | TM 2401 |
| Viscosity @23°C | 180–250 | mPa·s | TM 2013 |
| Gel time | 50–70 | minutes | TM 2625 |
| Gel time | 230–270 | minutes | TM 2577 |
TM 2625: At 25°C, add 2.0 g of Butanox® M50 curing agent to 100 g of resin.
TM 2577: At 23°C in a water bath, add 1.5 g of Butanox® M50 curing agent to 150 g of resin.
Typical Properties of Liquid Resin
| Property | Value | Unit | Test Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash Point | 33 | °C | TM 2800 |
| Shelf Life | 3 | months | -25 °C |
Typical Properties of Pure Resin Castings
| Property | Value | Unit | Test Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tensile Strength | 80 | MPa | ISO 527-2 |
| Tensile Modulus | 3.3 | GPa | ISO 527-2 |
| Elongation at break | 4.0 | % | ISO 527-2 |
| Flexural strength | 130 | MPa | ISO 178 |
| Flexural modulus | 3.4 | GPa | ISO 178 |
| Heat Deflection Temperature | 95 | °C | ISO 75 Ae |
| Notched impact strength | 19 | kJ/m² | ISO 179 |
The curing system is as follows: Add 2.0 g of Butanox M50 curing agent to 100 g of resin. Cure at room temperature for 24 hours, followed by curing at 80 °C for 24 hours.
Process Operation Guidelines
- The MEKP curing system is recommended, with a usage rate of 1%–2.5%. The curing agent dosage may be adjusted as needed based on application temperature and pot life.
- For small parts such as automotive components, provided the curing agent is at the upper limit, an accelerator may be added as appropriate to shorten the gel-out time.
- The release liner should not be peeled off until at least after exothermic reaction has ceased; premature removal may result in premature delamination of the part from the mold and surface curing defects.
Application Guidelines
Products cured at room temperature must undergo post-curing to achieve optimal physical and chemical properties; prior to this, the products must be cured at room temperature for 24 hours. For products where post-curing is not feasible, it is recommended to let them sit at room temperature for 24–48 hours before performing operations such as assembly or drilling.