Post Takeaway

To best understand how Chockfast cures, or asked by many, how does it become hard, we discuss below key drivers and influencers to the chemical reaction and process including: The Chockfast resin (Part A), the hardener (Part B), mixing tools, environmental and recommended best practices to make them all work together. Read more on industrial epoxy hardening.

Outline

• Introduction
• How Chockfast Cures
• Mass Effect
• Working Time vs. Cure Time
• Initial vs. Final Cure
• Implications

Understanding the Chemical Reaction of Chockfast Epoxies: The Science of Heat

Ever wondered what makes Chockfast products so reliable for dynamic equipment installations? The secret lies in their chemistry. These industrial bonding solutions come in two main types: Grouts (which contain aggregates) and chocking products (which have special fillers mixed into the resin). Both start with two key ingredients: Epoxy resin and amine hardener.

But what happens when these components are mixed? Let’s dive into the cure cycle and understand the fundamental science behind the epoxy polymerization reaction.

The Magic of the Chockfast Curing Process: How Does It Get Hard?

When the epoxy resin and amine hardener are combined, a chemical reaction begins. The molecules from both materials essentially wake up and the rules of organic chemistry begin. The Epoxy resin woken up by the Hardener start linking up with each other, kind of like pieces of a puzzle coming together. Scientifically, the polymerization reaction is where the single resin molecule combines with the other unique components for its ultimate properties. This reaction process that creates heat is known as an exothermic reaction. How efficient and quickly the epoxy cure cycle happens depends on several factors:

• How well the foundation materials can absorb heat, also known as the Specific Heat Capacity of the materials
• The temperature of the surfaces it touches (like steel or concrete) as these can create a heat sink to cool or help maintain the reaction temperature
• The ambient temperature of the surrounding air
• How mass of much material you’re using in one spot as compared the same mass spread over a thinner or larger area

This exothermic reaction of heat generation isn’t just a side effect – it actually plays a crucial role in determining the Chockfast’s final properties of how strong and effective the final product will be. Getting it right is essential for ensuring quality and proper bonding with mounting surfaces.

The Mass Effect: Why Size Matters

One of the greatest takeaways to remember is how important the use of the reaction’s heat is to the product’s final properties. Of all the influences such as surface and ambient temperatures, the mass of the product will be one of the most important influences: By controlling the mass, or the more Chockfast material you pour in one spot, the more heat it generates. Below is a depiction on how different variations on a similar installation design affects the heat of reaction (exotherm) by the mass effect: