An epoxy is a polymer that cures when mixed with a catalyzing agent or hardener. Epoxies are part of a class of adhesives called engineering adhesives or structural adhesives, which also includes polyurethane and acrylic. Epoxies were first developed and used in industry in the United States during the early 1930's.
Epoxy
Raw epoxy materials are blended by manufacturers into epoxy systems that can be used for various purposes. The epoxy formulas may be changed in hundreds of ways, depending on their intended use. Epoxy manufacturers may add mineral fillers, thickeners, accelerators, adhesion promoters, and even fiber reinforcements such as glass, carbon, Kevlar, and boron. The curing of liquid polyethers creates epoxy resins, a compound used in a wide variety of applications just like all other epoxy combinations. In regards to adhesives, epoxy resins are used to create laminating adhesives and conductive adhesives. Even by themselves, these resins are a natural epoxy adhesive used in many homes to fix broken pottery, glass and china as well as fixing up wood and leather. The substance is usually clear, like the epoxy coating or paint, which adheres to various woods, glasses and ceramics to protect these objects from corrosion and UV light. The epoxy coating is one example of how most multi-compound epoxy adhesives must be mixed together to cure right before application, although the bonding may be instantaneous, take a couple hours or a couple days.
