What should I do if my resin is lumpy or no longer clear?
Help! My resin has crystallized, what now?
We are often asked these two questions and we often read them in our Facebook group:Link to our group
If the resin was stored too cold or was too cold during transport, it sometimes happens that the resin crystallizes.
Most resins can be stored without any problems up to around 13 degrees. However, especially in winter, it is more common for resins to begin to crystallize during transport.
What to do if the epoxy resin has crystallized?
Of course, these details are not the same for every manufacturer, but it can be said that these values lead to success for the majority of all resins.
If the crystallization process is not yet that advanced, lower temperatures or shorter times are sufficient.
Place your resin canister in a water bath at 60 degrees. Make sure that the bottle head is as high as possible above the water to prevent liquid from entering the container. After 30 minutes the resin should be liquid again. Before using the resin, you should let it cool back to room temperature.
If the resin is then stored above the crystallization point, the resin remains liquid. You can liquefy your resin as often as you like and you don't have to worry about any loss of quality.
Not all resins crystallize at the same speed.
What do you do if you realize too late that your resin has crystallized?
If you have already started to immortalize the resin and you only later notice that your resin has already started to crystallize, you can also warm your mixture a little and stir it regularly dissolve the crystals. To do this, you can put your resin back into a water bath or use a taller mixing vessel. Your resin will automatically become warmer due to the chemical reaction. Please measure the temperature regularly with a thermometer to avoid harmful boiling of the resin.
Can epoxy resin go bad?
Another frequently asked question in this context is: Can epoxy resin go bad.
Resins generally have a shelf life of 1-2 years after production.
Similar to the food industry, however, this is much more about a best-before date than a set expiry date.
As we already know, a crystallized resin is not an indication that your resin is bad or unusable.
What should you pay attention to?
Most good manufacturers always print the best before date on the bottles. This should be the first indicator for you. Since the resin has a longer shelf life than the hardener, it is advisable to take a closer look at the hardener. A sign of old resin can be discoloration of the hardener or a cloudiness that is not characteristic of crystallization.
You can find a selection of high-quality resins in our online shop: https://www.chooseyours11.com/harz
Did you know?
UV resins cannot crystallize! Unfortunately, UV resins should not be stored above average cold or warm temperatures, but crystallization can be ruled out with this form of resin.
You can find high-quality and long UV stable resins in our shop.
Learn more about resins in one of our online courses (to the courses)
You may also have problems other than crystallized resin. You may think that your resin is old or of poor quality because it quickly turns yellow or streaks. Various reasons could be responsible for this, e.g. B. choosing the wrong resin system or an incorrectly calculated mixing ratio. Use our mixing ratio calculator to determine the correct mixing ratio or attend one of our workshops. There you will learn everything about UV and epoxy resin that you need for working with resin.
Mixing ratio calculator
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