PROGRESSIVE EPOXY POLYMERS, INC.
Pittsfield NH 03263
** Quick EMAIL / ph 603.435.7199 EST / Google SITE SEARCH / Buy On-line TWO STORES / Goto Contact PAGE / Web Product CATALOG / Progressive Epoxy HOMEPAGE / View our VIDEO / Navigation Bar REPLACEMENT / Data and MSDS PRODUCT INFO / Epoxy Guru HELP SITE / Top Selling Products - FAVORITES * *
NO SALES TAX - You are shopping in TAX FREE New Hampshire
** Quick EMAIL / ph 603.435.7199 EST / Google SITE SEARCH / Buy On-line TWO STORES / Goto Contact PAGE / Web Product CATALOG / Progressive Epoxy HOMEPAGE / View our VIDEO / Navigation Bar REPLACEMENT / Data and MSDS PRODUCT INFO / Epoxy Guru HELP SITE / Top Selling Products - FAVORITES * *
Your Host and Tour Guide:
Paul Oman, MS, MBA - Progressive Epoxy Polymers, Inc. (floor epoxies, marine epoxies, underwater epoxies, repair epoxies)
Member: NACE (National Assoc. of Corrosion Engineers), SSPC (Soc. of Protective Coatings)
Board member: Friends of the Suncook River - 501(c)(3) non profit ----- Founder: Friday Night Paddlers .
We are the only technology based coating/epoxy/resin company that actively encourages your phone calls, not just during our East Coast work hours but also after/before hours, evening, weekends and even holidays. We're available when you are. We form a personal relationship with our customers and freely share technical information, how to-advice, product information and tips-and-tricks. Speak with a non-salesman technical professional with over 25 years of experience in the resin/coating industry.
Joseph E. Jessop (age 92) and Jack Sutphen (1990's/80's?)
photo by Bob Couarnubias
Amine Blush
Blush (amine blush) is a waxy layer that forms as most marine epoxies cure. When very bad, it is a visible white layer, otherwise it might not be visible, but still there. It is due to moisture in the air during cure. Specifically the amines in the curing agent can react with carbon dioxide and moisture to from ammonium carbonate (blush). Generally it is the cheaper marine epoxies that blush (those using a very basic amine curing agent) and the top of the line epoxies (sort of amine hybrids) that do not blush - or are harder to make blush. If your epoxy is blushes often, it is probably not a very high end epoxy. Blush needs to be washed off the surface of the epoxy before it can be recoated or painted.
Vendors with blushing marine epoxies downplay the problem so it can be difficult to determine how bad this issue is.
The best ways to reduce blushing, besides using a no blush epoxy, is to work in warm temperatures (the epoxy sets up faster, reducing the blush window) and with humidity at low levels. Certainly avoid conditions where moisture is coming out of the air as temperatures fall.
How serious is blushing? Here is an actual post on a boating newsgroup:
"Some time ago I decided to build the 6 hour canoe to get some practice for a bigger
sail design hopefully to come in the future. I used fir ply and fir trim. The construction went well, barring the
gun'l split. Next I coated the entire canoe, in and out, with (a leading competitor's 'regular' - blushing - epoxy)
followed by 2 primer coats and 2 finish coats of a marine paint from Home Depot, I don't remember the brand. The
paint was sprayed on.
Well, I goofed. I forgot about the blush before painting so naturally the paint didn't stick, and it looked so nice for a while. So once I finished the appropriate amount of cursing a sanded of all of the primer and finish coat, wiped the hull down with acetone followed by alcohol and repainted. I thought I was all set but the peeling has come back. So now the 6 hour canoe has become the 6 year canoe..... and I'm about ready to give up."
Thanks, B
One of our marine epoxy competitors (now a mere impersonal, product line sub-division within a big industrial corporation) claims a 30% savings in time using non blushing marine epoxies. Non blushing marine epoxies do not require washing or sanding between epoxy coats or top coating with other paints. Note that we offer Basic No Blush marine epoxy with fast, slow and regular curing agents (and it also includes bubble breakers for a more perfect finish). Our Premium No Bush epoxy is Nonyl free and uses an special curing agent is can be air shipped (shipped without restrictions). |
The best explanation I found about amine blush I found at:
Here is what they have to say:
When some marine epoxies harden, a byproduct of the curing reaction rises to the surface
appearing as a greasy, waxy layer. On contact with high humidity or water, this coating
turns into an opaque white smudge (during or even after cure) which turns into dry chalky
powder with time. This 'blush' will not wipe off easily with thinners or solvents. It can only
be dry or wet sanded after the epoxy completely cures.
This property has a huge implication on the time and amount of labor you need to
expend to recoat or for bonding. Blush free epoxies allow additional filler coats and
bonding without prior sanding! This benefit also cannot be overemphasized if you ever
experienced allergic reaction to fiberglass and uncured epoxy dust.
The way this works is that if you re-coat before the prior coat is completely cured, the
new epoxy will dissolve the top layer of the 'old' coat and fuse 'chemically'. If let cure for
longer, the absence of the blush (surface contamination) permits a clean mechanical
bond. Despite the clean surface, it is a good idea to wet-sand cured epoxy if subsequent
bonding isn't done within 24 hours or so. This assures a good secondary (mechanical)
bond.
Marine epoxies that suffer from blushing are difficult to trust (without a lot of intermittent
sanding). Filler coats can be applied without sanding but it must be done as soon as the
epoxy starts setting or shortly after. Furthermore, unvarnished surfaces (such as the
insides of the cockpit) may turn smudgy white with time which is quite ugly,
aesthetically speaking.
The greasy layers that appears on some epoxies are largely the salts
of amine carbonate.
Depending on the type and formulation of the epoxy, amine compounds on the surface
combine to various degrees with CO2 (carbon dioxide) and water in humid air forming
hydrates of amine carbonate. This stuff is supposedly water soluble but it will not leave
without some abrasive scrubbing.
Why do some epoxies blush and some don't and why wouldn't everyone want to make
non-blushing epoxies?
It just happens that the amount of blushing is very related to the shape of the amines .
These molecules in turn determine the physical properties of the cured epoxy. Low blush
epoxy formulations often contain 'cyclic amines'. The geometry of these molecules as
well as their 'mono functionality(one reactive side only) improve the surface, slow down
the cure rate and reduce the strength of the cured mass.
What does it all mean? It seems that very slow, glossy, low blush epoxies harden to
solids with lower moduli of elasticity (softer and more elastic) which allows for
deformation and better impact absorption without cracking. Faster setting, blushing
epoxies are generally far stiffer, harder as well as more brittle. At the extreme of this
spectrum lie high moduli epoxies which are never used for clear coating but are
unsurpassed in their strength. These epoxies are used in high tech, high strength
composites that are post-cured with heat.
Thanks to Vaclav Stejskal at One Ocean Kayaks for the above information.
Always another boat to fix or build
with non blushing marine epoxy!
Why Basic No Blush epoxy is the BEST in its class: 1. A formulated blended resin system (not repackaged raw chemicals) 2) Uses NON BLUSHING curing agent for blush free results 3) not too thick, not too thin, not too brittle 4) the only marine epoxy with bubble breakers for superior flaw free finishes 5) the only epoxy adduct marine epoxy for superior properties 6) strong user support / feedback 7) 24/7 support email marineepoxy@gmail.com |
User Feedback
BASIC NO BLUSH (tm) MARINE EPOXY - review |
||
|
Progressive Epoxy Polymers (epoxyproducts.com) Attn: Paul, Attached is a zip file with photos, plan view, vessel description, and some shots of the previous builds of the same boat. I am using your Basic No-Blush marine epoxy as my sole epoxy coating & glue solution throughout this entire project and I just love your product! Having used all the major brands on the market today I find your epoxy to be the easiest, most consistent, and most forgiving marine epoxy product of them all. This boat is being built in an unheated, semi-weather tight workshop, on an island on Lake Winnipesaukee (central New Hampshire) and consequently I'm more often working in temperatures outside of what is optimal for most epoxies. I've had success with your epoxy (with the Regular curing agent) setting up in temps in the low 50's and also behaving kindly with temps in the upper 80s to 90+. While pot life varies considerably in such a wide range your product is very consistent, predictable, and telling when it's time to 'wrap it up', which is definitely not so much the case with some of your competitors. In addition, your pricing is very attractive and while price is not the primary reason why I use your product I definitely appreciate the value you offer, so thank you. Jeff - 2014 - Offshore Skiff boat builder |
|
|
Originally designed for Offshore Magazine, the Offshore Skiff was intended to be an economical shoal-draft family cruiser or alternately--in the open center-console version--an all-around utility boat. A skiff. of course, is any fairly small, shoal, economical vessel. She could be a 15-foot rowboat, a 30-foot Jersey sea skiff, or even a 36-foot 17,000-pound Sea Bright skiff. The Offshore Skiff, falls nicely in the middle of this range at 28-feet 3-inches overall , 24-feet waterline, 8-foot beam. 5400-pound displacement, and drawing a scant 1 1 inches to the bottom of her hull. (She draws 26 inches to the bottom of her outboard.) |
|
Massive Boat Links Site |
Buy Now ("marine epoxy" in NAVIGATION BAR) |
BASIC NO BLUSH web page |
Custom Drift Boats Check them out at: |
|
Croff Craft - just one of our commercial boat builders that use our Basic No Blush marine epoxy and India Spar Varnish |
I'm in the process of starting a boat school in Portland, OR (http://wind-and-oar-boatschool.org/). We are
working on our first boat, which is a St Ayles skiff, with a group of 10 completely novice women doing the build.
Its the first all women build and the first on the west coast. The St Ayles Skiff is a Iain Oughtred design done
for the Scottish Fisheries Museum and now the cornerstone of the Scottish Coastal Rowing Project (http://scottishcoastalrowing.org/). Last fall
WoodenBoat Publications picked up the concept and got 5 high schools in Maine to start the boat and I am mirroring
the idea for high schools in Portland. The first youth boat will start this fall but in the mean time a group of
women approached me about building one too.
When it came time to decide about epoxies, I turned to Michael Bogoger (Dory-man) for advice. He suggested your
Basic No Blush marine epoxy and we've been extremely happy with it. The forgiving nature of the basic no-blush has been ideal for a
school situation where many people are mixing and consistency is not necessarily high. Michael has covered our
build on his blog several times and this link (http://dory-man.blogspot.com/2011/06/wind-and-oar-boat-building-school.html) is to one of his posts where you can see us using your product. His first post
about us was on the occasion of his first visit to Portland when I had him give a little seminar on epoxies.
Dec 2008 from Doug: "The following is my opinion of a good company. My
affiliation is as a DIY end user. No recompense, no funny business: I've been
refurbishing our 1973 ketch and have done some epoxy work in that process. I've
never worked with epoxy before this. I talked to several local glass workers and
researched on line to learn a bit about epoxy. I searched for different vendors
and their prices. I settled on a place in New Hampshire called Progressive Epoxy
Polymers. (https://epoxyproducts.com)
My first thought was, what a mess of a website. I found it very confusing. Since I first came upon it, there have
been improvements made to make it more "user friendly". Aside from that, the site is most informative
to this beginning DIY's. I was won over by the explanations, descriptions of chemistries,
MSDS's , suggested usages,
and personal responsiveness of the owner and his wife. I did a calculation of prices per ounce, approximating the
match of the different brand's products. I realize that there is no way I can say I'm comparing the same chemistry
of different brands. Nevertheless, Progressive Epoxy prices remain the best I have found.
I've used the Premium No Blush (~15 gallons), Low-V (~2 gal), a putty with kevlar, and some elastomeric stuff.
In addition I've used the fumed silica, micro balloons, ezy-thick, chopped glass & milled glass.
Progressive Epoxy Polymers is my epoxy source, I recommend them."
custom spear gun with Premium No Blush protective finish
Hi Paul,
Hope this finds you well... Here are some pics. Let me know what you think.
In terms of practical testing your Premium No Blush Epoxy in sea water...it is just Great...it stood against very harsh conditions and still going on very strong. Unlike W@@T Sys@@m Epoxy...it did not blush at all...and actually the yellowish color addition makes the guns even nicer...reacting with teak wood to a golden dark brown color...beat that!
Because of your epoxy, I had to recall most of the guns (coated with W@@T Sys@@m) sold locally and recoat them with your epoxy...just couldn't handle them coated any other way.
Best regards, Ihab - Egypt - Custom Spear Gun manufacturer.
The Marine Epoxy Everything Guide Everything from user reviews, repair examples, pricing issues and vendor evaluation tips
Basic No Blush Marine Epoxy Product Page Marine Epoxy Catalog page (multiple epoxies) Basic No Blush Marine Epoxy User Reviews / Feedback How To Evaluating Marine Epoxy brands and Vendors Marine Epoxy prices - what it really costs! Marine Epoxy amine blush - what is epoxy Blush? Boat repair examples using Marine Epoxy Dinghy Marine Epoxy boat repair case study Progressive Epoxy Polymer's marine web site Massive site of Internet boat links
|
|
BOAT BUILDING SUPPLIES AND INFO |
Non Blushing Marine Epoxy |
Marine Epoxies (find in
catalog) |
Epoxy Fillers / Thickeners |
Fiberglass Cloth |
"Stitch
and Glue" building |
Underwater Epoxy Repairs |
Varnish Info |
Varnish (find in catalog) |
Dinghy Repair |
Massive Boat Links Site |
Email Us |
Call 603-435-7199 help/orders |
MARINE CATALOG |
HOME/DIY/COMMERCIAL CATALOG |
Section One
TWO PART MARINE EPOXIES- CLEAR EPOXIES |
Section A EPOXY PAINTScorro coat FC 2100; NSP 120; water gard 300; coal tar ; CM 15; crack coat™ |
Section Two
FILLERS THICKENERS ADDITIVES fumed silica; microsphere/balloons; poly fibers; copper; graphite; Teflon (tm); wood flour; EZ thick; rock flour
|
Section B FLOOR EPOXIES (regular and non-skid products), SEALERS, ACCESSORIESwater bond (water based); solvent free industrial floor epoxy; bio vee seal; water based floor epoxy, floor epoxy with grit; walnut shell; ground white rubber grit |
Section Three
THICKENED EPOXIES - EPOXY PUTTIES, ETC. wet/dry 700; splash zone; quick fix 2300, QR 2400 rubber epoxy |
Section C THICKENED EPOXIES - EPOXY PUTTIES, ETC.wet/dry 700; splash zone A-788, quick fix 2300; QR 2400 (tm) rubber epoxy |
Section Four
TWO PART EPOXY PAINTS (barrier coats) corro coat FC 2100; water gard 300; CM 15; EZ Spray; epoxy primer; crack coat™ |
Section D CLEAR TWO PART EPOXIESlow V epoxy; basic no blush; ESP 155; Bio-Clear 810 |
Section Five
URETHANES AND NON-EPOXY COATINGS
Aluthane (aluminum coating); LPU Marine |
Section E NON-EPOXY PAINTS SEALERSAluthane moisture cured urethane; Acrylic Poly UV Plus and other 2 part polys ; Capt. Tolley's creeping crack sealer |
Section Six
NON-SKID DECK COATINGS walnut shell; ground white rubber
|
Section F MIX-IN ADDITIVESfumed silica; fiber fill; micro balloons/micro-spheres; graphite; Teflon (tm); copper powder; wood flour; EZ thick, rock flour |
Section Seven
MARINE REPAIR PRODUCTS pipe wrap; fiberglass tape (cloth); Capt. Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure |
|
Section Eight
MISC. MARINE PRODUCTS short nap rollers; TA 661 (solvent free epoxy clean-up); 1 inch foam brushes; 2 inch bristle brushes; tongue depressors |
|
|
|
Call (603-435-7199) or EMAIL with questions /phone orders etc. about what you're doing. We try to earn your business one phone call at a time! |
|
Let's
stay connected.
It's a win-win situation. Receive our online NEWSLETTER by
emailing us your name and email address.
**
Quick
EMAIL / ph 603.435.7199 EST / Google
SITE SEARCH
/ Buy On-line
TWO
STORES / Goto Contact
PAGE / Web Product
CATALOG /
Progressive Epoxy
HOMEPAGE / View
our VIDEO / Navigation Bar
REPLACEMENT / Data
and MSDS
PRODUCT INFO
/ Epoxy Guru
HELP SITE / Top Selling
Products -
FAVORITES
* *