Epoxy resin is the collective family of chemical compound or cured aggregate end products of epoxy resin resins. Epoxy resin, also called poly epoxy resins, are a category of chemically engineered resin-like materials and polymer mixtures that contain small amounts of epoxy groups bound to other substances in aqueous humor. The epoxy resin structural group is also known as polyurethane or epoxy polymers. The IUPAC designation for an epoxy resin is a polyurethane. In addition to its physical properties, epoxy resin is used as a thermosetting polymer, hardener, thermosetting fluid, thermoforming fluid, and thermosetting catalyst.
The most important physical property of epoxy resin is its viscosity. A higher viscosity will increase the curing speed of the curing process because it increases the amount of time for the mixture to cure at a fixed temperature. Since the curing time is dependent on the viscosity of the epoxy resin, higher viscosities allow the curing process to take place at faster temperatures and at lower pressures. There are two types of viscosity: liquid and cream. Cream viscosity is used more frequently in industrial applications. Most modern epoxy resin materials are in liquid viscosity range.
One way to increase the drying time is to use a heat-treating agent. There are several kinds of heat-treating agents. Some have shorter curing times than others. It is best to test various applications with heat-treating agents in order to find the best one suited to the specific application.