Epoxy curing agents can be divided into two major categories, based on the chemical makeup of the curing agent. General-purpose types like aliphatic amine, or aliphatic ketones, are low-activity but highly toxic. These coatings do not have very good chemical-color interaction properties but offer extremely high hardness and durability. Additionally, they have excellent fire resistance properties.
Thermo-active epoxy curing agents, or gels, are made from low temperatures of their components. These types of agents are great for curing all kinds of metals including stainless steel, copper, brass, and bronze. The major benefit of these coatings is that they can be cured and hardened at very low temperatures and offer very good mechanical properties. They are also relatively easy to install and can withstand high temperatures.
There are two main types of epoxy curing agents; thermoplastics and thermo-cross-linked amines (TCA). The U.S. is witnessing the launch of new products. In April 2018, Hexion Inc., a U.S.-based chemical company – launched EPI-REZ Resin 7720-W-50 – its new high-performance, epoxy dispersion resin.
Thermo-cross-linked amines (TCA) have a long shelf life when exposed to alkaline conditions; however, they begin to degrade upon contact with acidic conditions. Thus, most of the recent versions of epoxy curing agents use polyamides as their curing agent, instead of TCA. Polyamides, which form a cross-linking polymer, are known for their resistance to acid and most other chemicals. On the other hand, thermoplastic epoxy resin (TPA) is relatively weaker than TCA but is stronger against alkalis. It can however be cured by exposing it to either hot or cold temperatures. With the latest advancement in technology, however, TPA epoxy resin's cure has been revolutionized into a more potent process of cross-linking. It can now withstand temperature fluctuations and can even be cured through radiation exposure.
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