Copper powder can be added to epoxies (including our ESP 155™ epoxy sealer). For marine bottom paint application, the special flake copper is added to our Low V epoxy. 1 'Unit" of copper and epoxy for boats about 27 ft long. Two for 32 ft boats (about), three for 37 ft boats, four copper epoxy kits for boats about 40 ft. The copper can also be added to our traditional India Spar Varnish™.Call to discuss 603-435-7199 EST

"You provide outstanding products, and Fantastic Support. Thank You." Brian S.  (call 603 435 7199 anytime)

"Thanks for all your advice, tips & moral support concerning my project. It turned out beautiful. Quality people backing a quality product is the only way to go!" Joe

Important application (epoxy application) notes:

Applying epoxy to a hull is not like 'regular paint." Once rolled on, it can take 15 - 60 minutes ( or longer) to 'gel' and set up on the hull surface. This gives plenty of time for drips and sags to form, especially in warn weather (warm weather means much shorter work times and ever lower viscosity - probably don't try on surfaces over 90 degrees). You will probably need to keep an eye on the applied epoxy - roller out any drips and sags as they form for the first hour or so. Rolling on thin coats helps.

AFTER YOU APPLY THE COPPER EPOXY TO YOUR HULL YOU MUST SAND THE HULL TO EXPOSE THE COPPER FROM THE EPOXY COVERING IT. YOU GENERALLY SAND THE HULL FROM TIME TO TIME TO EXPOSE FRESH COPPER

5 or 10 pounds units of MD150 leafing 50 micron copper  - shipped UPS ground to any address in the Lower 48

leafing copper powder - epoxy boat bottom

https://youtu.be/NfoKBL37BuA?t=5m26s

with a "Two Years Later" follow-up at:

https://youtu.be/q8yPbjRTajw?t=3m2s

Copper powder is now considered a marine pollutant or an environmentally hazardous substance that can pose a risk to aquatic ecosystems.

For shipping it is classified as a UN 3077 - Class 9 Environmentally Hazardous Substance. Solid N.O.S. (NOS = not otherwise specified). Shipping requires special labeling and training/permits for the shipper.

Progressive Epoxy Polymers, Inc (that’s us!) could no longer ship copper powder legally and we stopped selling it. Note that we suspect many sellers of copper powder found on-line should not legally be shipping it (being ignorant of the laws/regulations, or just figuring they will not get caught). You don’t want to be a ‘party’ involved in the illegal transport of ‘Environmentally Hazardous Substances'.

We have now found a metallic powders company willing to legally drop ship 5 or 10 pound units of the ‘correct’ copper powder to our customers. Note that shipping rules change when shipments exceed 11 pounds, hence each box shipped will only contain 5 or 10 pounds of the copper powder.

The correct copper powder for addition into epoxy and other coatings for marine and other artistic applications is a 50 micron, leafing copper powder (bulk density of 0.6 g/cc - includes some zinc in the formulation). Leafing pigments exhibit a distinct tendency to float to the surface of the coating and to align parallel to the surface of the coating film for maximum copper exposure and uniform appearance.

5 pounds of this copper is added to a 1.5 gal unit of our Low V epoxy. This is generally enough for about a 27 ft boat. Boats in the 30 - 40 ft range generally require 10 or 15 pounds of copper and epoxy units. Boats in the 40 ft range generally require 20 pounds of copper and epoxy units.

The epoxy: The thinner the epoxy the better. The leafing copper flake we use acts like a thickener. A key issue becomes adding the copper but not getting the mixture so thick that it leaves brush or roller marks, or even becomes a paste. Obviously, the thinner the epoxy is to start with, the more copper you can add before it becomes too thick. The thicker epoxies also lack the uniform ‘new copper penny' look. With the thicker epoxies, the copper color is more like light and dark copper dots. Something around 5 pounds of our copper to 1.5 gal of our Low V epoxy seems to be about right.

(Low V epoxy in our marine catalog) (Low V epoxy in our industrial catalog)

Comments from folks using the copper powder with our Low V (tm) epoxy

found in our user notes page (under Low V epoxy and copper powder

simple mobile friendly copper and epoxy web site  CLICK HERE)

Quick combo data - tech doc for COPPER POWDER Click Here

Quick combo data - tech doc for LOW V EPOXY Click Here

R.O. emailed Progressive Epoxy Polymers (12/20/09)
 

Hi, I have been researching different options for a spring bottom painting and have come across a product advertised in XXXXXXXX Magazine. It is a two part, water born epoxy with spherical copper power for loading the paint prior to application. It is Copper Coat Anti-Fouling Paint, has EPA approval for use as a bottom paint and, according to their website ( www.xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.com) has 2 kg of copper powder per liter of paint. This translates to about 16 pounds per gallon. Have you seen this product and how difficult would it be to load one of your paints with this level of copper?
Thanks in advance. -- R.O.


Hi R.O.

Two things up front: we don't sell copper - epoxy bottom paint. We sell lots of different epoxies and we also sell a very fine copper powder (and other metal powders and epoxy thickeners/fillers). So all we can do is sell you the copper powder for you to blend, mix etc. with whatever you want. I just finished adding it to a water based acrylic to paint the roof of a birdhouse.

Secondly, I checked the website you listed (lots more on that later) - their product is not water based, but rather 'ordinary' 2 part epoxy. Not sure where you got the idea it is waterbased. From my experience, 98% of water based epoxies are only for use on floors.

The product/site you list is misleading. It is a simple basic epoxy with copper added (no problem with that) but then the marketing/sales folks got a hold of it. Lots of missing information and misleading statements. The goal isn't informed customers but rather to separate the customer from his money....

You cannot put 16 pounds of copper into a gallon of epoxy (note: copper powder - copper and air - weight about 1 pound per pint) - at about 6 - 8 pounds per gallon you start making copper putty. You cannot make a copper based coating with that much copper and they don't either. Here comes some of the misleading stuff: their sites claims 2 kg per liter of RESIN. Epoxies are 2 part products, resin and curing agent. Rather oddly on their site they don't tell you the ratio of resin to curing agent but a picture suggests it might be 1 to 1 - thus thinning the resin by half ( or worse).

Their MSDS is dated 2002 (considered out of date and invalid if over 5 years old) shows that the chemicals in the resin account for 54%-65% of the resin weight - so the other 35%-45% is the copper. That is about 3-4 pounds of copper per gallon of resin (not the blend of resin and curing agent you actually work with).

Normally a gallon of mixed epoxy has a coverage rate of about 100-200 sf per gallon. The less coverage the thicker the coating, but drips and sags become a real issue - often better to apply 2 thin coats. Anyway, I calculated their coverage rate and found it to be about 80 sf per gallon. So, it is a pretty thick product - we don't know how thick or thin the epoxy was to start with before the copper was added, but still at 80 sf per gallon, it suggests enough copper was added to make it quite thick.

So, bottom line --- I'm sure it is a functional mix of copper and epoxy worked out by someone who knows what is going on. However, their web site is not being very honest and open with you. It is your call if you want to do try their product.

paul oman

Another epoxy copper customer email

I bought this copper powder from you in 2003 while in New Zealand and put it on my 45' Trimaran with W@@t Epoxy. Will be in NZ this October and plan to do it again as it has worked quit well. Also put it on my AB dingy bottom. -- J 2013

more from J.:

DISCLAIMER - WE SELL EPOXIES AND WE SELL COPPER POWDER. WE DO NOT SELL A COPPER EPOXY PAINT OR A URETHANE COPPER PRODUCT. BLENDING AND MIXING OUR COPPER POWDER WITH AN EPOXY OR SOME OTHER COATING IS STRICTLY A DECISION OF THE PURCHASER. WE MAY SUGGEST HOW TO MIX, BUT ONLY AS A STARTING POINT. GETTING A SATISFACTORY BLEND IS STRICTLY TRIAL AND ERROR AND SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING DIFFERENT FOR EVERYONE WHO ATTEMPTS IT. WE RECOMMEND YOU DO NOT BLEND THESE PRODUCTS TOGETHER UNLESS YOU ARE WILLING TO EXPERIMENT AND TO ACCEPT THE CONSEQUENCES OF SUCH PERSONAL TESTING. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A COPPER EPOXY BLEND THAT YOU CAN JUST OPEN THE CAN AND GO, THIS IS NOT THE PLACE NOR PRODUCTS FOR YOU.

Copper and our Low V epoxy used to

create a copper roof on this birdhouse

Quick combo data - tech doc for COPPER POWDER Click Here

Quick combo data - tech doc for LOW V EPOXY Click Here

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Marine Photo Gallery People that like boat building and clear marine epoxy projects also like pictures of classic boats, yachts, marine wrecks, naval ships and 'funny' boats. Visit our photo gallery found at: www.epoxyproducts.com/boats.html