Polyester
Deliverable in 1-5 working days
Deliverable in 1-5 working days
Deliverable in 1-5 working days
Deliverable in 1-5 working days
What is polyester?
Polyester can be either a thermoplastic (melts under the influence of temperature) or a thermosetting (hardens under the influence of temperature) plastic.
Thermosetting polyester is usually reinforced with glass fibre. This is called glass-fibre reinforced polyester - GRP, but is also often simply called "composite".
These polyester resins usually have two components. These consist of component A, the base resin, and component B, the hardener. With polyester resins you use a MEKP hardener. After you have added this liquid hardener to the A component, a chemical process starts. This process ensures the hardening of the resin.
Characteristics of polyester
- Polyester does not rot, rust or corrode
- Good mechanical properties
- High impact resistance
- Moisture and watertight
- Processable with a minimum of tools
- Good price-quality ratio
- Lightweight and yet strong
Applications of polyester
To strengthen your resin, use fiberglass mat. If you want to create extra strength, it is better to use a combination with glass fabrics.
The applications of polyester resins are endless and range from the construction of a pond or swimming pool, the manufacture of body parts for a car, bus or mobile home to the production of moulds for silos.
Would you like to finish the polyester resin in a RAL colour? Then use a gelcoat. This is the visible finishing layer of your moulded piece. Making your swimming pond watertight is done with a coloured topcoat. Both gelcoat and topcoat are chemical and UV resistant.
Thanks to the low price, polyester resins remain one of the most frequently used resins. Do you want to avoid this? Then use ECO polyester resin, an almost odourless polyester resin. ECO polyester resin, also called surester, is styrene-free. This ensures that this type of resin does not have the penetrating odour that polyester resin has.
Surester resin can be applied perfectly in a classroom, workshop or workplace where odour nuisance is not desirable. The ECO polyester resin is applicable to, among others, PS foam (Styrofoam).
Working with polyester
Summary
Benefits
- Rot-, rust- and corrosion-free
- Strong and lightweight
- Universally applicable
- Good price-performance ratio
- Waterproof
- Colourable
Disadvantages
- Odour nuisance
- No adhesion on epoxy
- Osmosis when using the wrong type of resin in boats and swimming pools
- Higher shrinkage compared to epoxy resin