When we are talking about "Epoxy coating", what are the most commonly used substances in its application?

[MC1992]

I am quite interested in knowing what kind of chemicals they use to coat metallic furniture, usually referred to as "Epoxy". As far as I know, there could be several varieties of combinations, anybody can provide some insight?

Peace.

[DrP]

For the polymer to be an epoxy it needs an oxygen bridge on the backbone across 2 carbons. I think that this might react with the amines In the curing process as a site for crosslinking to take place, hardening the polymer and giving it more desirable resistance to chemicals and physical attack. How many epoxy groups remain after curing idk. I think it depends on how much was there to begin with and the concentration of the curing agents.

 

So - I think you are right - there is no exact expected final structure - the term epoxy in layman's terms refers to the system, the polymer in the 1st part of it and the finished cured product....  where as in chemistry the epoxy group is the oxygen bride where the chemistry takes place.

 

Sorry this description is brief and could be a lot better  -- but then you could write a book about it and I am at work and should be doing something else.  ;-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MC1992]

On 12/21/2017 at 7:13 PM, DrP said:

For the polymer to be an epoxy it needs an oxygen bridge on the backbone across 2 carbons. I think that this might react with the amines In the curing process as a site for crosslinking to take place, hardening the polymer and giving it more desirable resistance to chemicals and physical attack. How many epoxy groups remain after curing idk. I think it depends on how much was there to begin with and the concentration of the curing agents.

 

So - I think you are right - there is no exact expected final structure - the term epoxy in layman's terms refers to the system, the polymer in the 1st part of it and the finished cured product....  where as in chemistry the epoxy group is the oxygen bride where the chemistry takes place.

 

Sorry this description is brief and could be a lot better  -- but then you could write a book about it and I am at work and should be doing something else.  ;-)

 

Ah, it's actually sufficiently informative really.

But if I may: How toxic is this paint/coating typically? I know this question is super broad, but should I be worried about it? It's a bed with bedframe coated in it... made by IKEA. I mean when I get it clearly would already be... cured/solidified? I haven't purchased it yet. I want to know as much as possible about what I'm getting into.

 

Edited December 23, 2017 by MC1992

[John Cuthber]

The components from which the is resin made are relatively toxic, but, during the curing process, they react with eachother and the product is pretty much harmless.

Edited December 23, 2017 by John Cuthber

[MC1992]

On 12/23/2017 at 6:21 PM, John Cuthber said:

The components from which the is resin made are relatively toxic, but, during the curing process, they react with eachother and the product is pretty much harmless.

Hah, thanks a lot, and again, I'm arriving at the philosophical quandary of weighting costs against benefits.

So... in theory, from a more probabilistic point of view, I don't have to worry about the particles it leaches into the air, right? And it does leech stuff into the air, just in minuscule quantity, no?

[Moontanman]

17 hours ago, MC1992 said:

Hah, thanks a lot, and again, I'm arriving at the philosophical quandary of weighting costs against benefits.

So... in theory, from a more probabilistic point of view, I don't have to worry about the particles it leaches into the air, right? And it does leech stuff into the air, just in minuscule quantity, no?

I used to build aquariums to grow coral by coating plywood with epoxy, didn't seem to affect the coral and they are very sensitive noxious substances...  

[MC1992]

15 hours ago, Moontanman said:

I used to build aquariums to grow coral by coating plywood with epoxy, didn't seem to affect the coral and they are very sensitive noxious substances...  

Really? Never thought of it that way. I guess it's alright then.

[John Cuthber]

Many or most tin cans used for food are lined with epoxy.

[MC1992]

10 minutes ago, John Cuthber said:

Many or most tin cans used for food are lined with epoxy.

Really! .

Wasn't most tin cans chemically inert to begin with? Oh well, come to think of it, there does appear to be a layer of paint of some sort covering the inner wall. I always thought the "tin can iron" is a special kind of iron - it comes with a "natural" varnish after processing.

[John Cuthber]

The original tin cans were canisters coated with tin- which is less reactive than iron.

But a lot of food is too corrosive to be stored for long  without a varnish/ coating of some sort to protect the metal.

(IIRC, tomatoes + soft drinks are particularly aggressive)