Electrolube Resin Guide

Electrolube continues to be at the forefront of resin technology, offering a wide range of high performance polyurethane and epoxy resins for circuit and component protection and also designing new resins to solve customer problems. Resin systems are designed to protect and insulate electrical and electronic components from the threats of harsh and challenging environments – moisture, vibration, thermal or physical shock and general contamination.

Resins can form a complete barrier against environmental hazards and totally insulate assemblies, thus making them more suitable than conformal coatings for operation under extreme conditions.

Benefits of Resin Systems

  

Resins are an excellent way of forming tough polymeric materials in difficult locations and where heat curing is impractical, such as on site cable jointing and insulation, outdoor cable duct sealing, road sensor installation and for many electrical and electronic potting and encapsulation applications.

Most Electrolube resins consist of two liquids, resin and hardener that when mixed together in the correct ratio, react to form solids. By careful formulation the properties of the cured resin can be tailored to meet individual customer requirements. These include hardness, flexibility, dielectric strength, heat transfer properties, temperature range etc. Electrolube can alter the properties of the constituent parts and how they behave whilst curing. Other properties can also be changed such as viscosity and colour.

Resin systems range from hard, tough materials, through rubbers, to soft, self healing removable gels.

Typical application

Resins are used to provide security and protection in many different applications including:

Specific Information

Resin Types

The two most commonly used resin types in the electronics industry are epoxy and polyurethane. Electrolube designs and manufactures a wide range of both of these systems.

Epoxy

Epoxies generally have a higher temperature rating than polyurethanes, exhibit lower shrinkage on cure, are harder and stronger and are easier to make flame retardant. They exhibit better adhesion, superior resistance to humidity during and after cure and high chemical resistance. ( ER2001, ER2183, ER2188 )

Polyurethane

Polyurethanes are generally softer, more flexible and truly elastomeric in comparison with epoxies and therefore cause less stress to the components they protect. Curing far more quickly at low temperatures, they exhibit much higher abrasion resistance and have a lower operating temperature (down to -60 0 C). ( UR5044, UR5048, UR5608 )

Packaging

Electrolube resin systems are designed to be simple and cost effective and are suitable for all production methods and volumes.

Resin Packs – small scale production/prototyping/field application.

These contain resin and hardener, matched to the correct ratio. The resin and hardener are contained in a single pouch, separated by a removable clip. The clip is removed and the liquids must be thoroughly mixed within the sealed bag. When mixing is complete the corner of the pack is cut off and the mixed system dispensed. Resin packs are available in varying sizes.

Resin Kits – medium to high volume with or without automated equipment.

The resin and hardener are supplied in two tins matched to the correct ratio. Sufficient space is left in the resin tin to allow the addition of the hardener for subsequent mixing. This avoids the user having to weigh materials to the correct ratio.

Bulk Resin - high volume with automated equipment

Resin and hardener are supplied in separate containers. The two materials must be mixed together in the correct ratio, preferably utilising a proportional mix and dispense machine. If equipment is not available the quantities of each component must be weighed accurately.

Conclusion

Electrolube can supply standard resins for many applications.

If standard resins do not meet the need of the customer, then Electrolube will work with the customer to produce a product tailored to the exact parameters required. Once approved for use, the resin can be packed to suit the customer's production environment.

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