Epoxy resin glossary of terms & specifications
15 technical terms, resin systems and curing rules explained in plain English.
Free, no obligation. One local resin specialist prices it, not five.
Key epoxy resin terms explained
Amine Blush
Waxy, water-soluble surface film that can form on curing epoxy when amine hardeners react with cool damp air and carbon dioxide; it must be washed off with warm water and Scotch-Brite before sanding or recoating.
Deep-Pour Casting Epoxy
Low-viscosity, slow-reacting epoxy formulation engineered with a suppressed exothermic peak so single pours of 25 mm to 75 mm in river tables cure crystal-clear without boiling or yellowing.
Degassing & Torch Pass
Sweeping a culinary butane torch or heat gun briskly 100 mm above freshly poured resin to lower surface tension so micro-bubbles trapped during mixing rise and pop cleanly.
Exothermic Runaway (Flash Cure)
Self-accelerating heat spike that occurs when a fast-reacting epoxy is poured too thick or left sitting in a deep mixing bucket, causing the resin to smoke, crack, turn amber, and shrink.
Gel Time (Working Window)
Elapsed time at 20 °C from combining Part A resin and Part B hardener until the mixture thickens into a stringy gel that can no longer self-level or release air bubbles.
HALS & UV Stabiliser Package
Hindered Amine Light Stabiliser and benzotriazole UV-absorber additives blended into tabletop and art epoxies to slow down yellowing under indoor daylight.
Laminating & Wet-Layup Resin
Medium-low viscosity structural epoxy formulated to wet out woven glass fibre, carbon cloth, or timber veneers in boat building, surfboards, and structural repairs.
Metallic Mica Pigment Paste
Finely ground pearlescent mineral powder dispersed at 2–5% by weight into clear epoxy to create swirling three-dimensional depth in river tables, countertops, and seamless floors.
Mix Ratio (By Weight vs By Volume)
Exact stoichiometric proportion between Part A resin and Part B hardener; because resin is denser than hardener, a 2:1 volume ratio is typically around 100:45 by weight—guessing or mixing the two scales leaves sticky uncured patches.
Moisture Content of Timber (MC%)
Kiln-dried equilibrium water percentage inside live-edge timber slabs; wood for river tables must sit below 10–12% MC so trapped moisture does not outgas bubbles or warp the finished table.
Mold Release & HDPE Dam
Non-stick form barrier made from high-density polyethylene sheet, polypropylene tape, or silicone-sealed melamine used to contain liquid river-table pours without bonding to the cured casting.
Penetrating Seal Coat (Flood Coat)
Thin 1 mm brush-on or squeegee seal coat of tabletop epoxy applied to porous live-edge bark edges and end-grain before the main deep pour to lock in air pockets.
Post-Cure Hardness (Shore D)
Durometer indentation scale measuring cured rigid plastics; fully cross-linked structural, floor, and tabletop epoxies typically cure between 78 and 85 Shore D after 7 days at 20 °C.
Self-Levelling Flood Coat
Higher-viscosity 1:1 tabletop epoxy poured at 1.5–3.0 mm over sealed worktops, bar tops, or artwork that flows flat across the surface and breaks over eased perimeter edges.
Two-Cup Double-Mix Method
Best-practice mixing routine where resin and hardener are paddled for 3 minutes in a first bucket, scraped into a clean second bucket, and mixed for a further 60 seconds so unmixed resin clinging to bucket walls never reaches the pour.
Questions people ask
Can I do it myself with a kit?
For small pieces, yes: trays, coasters, a shelf, a small tabletop. Anything you walk on, cook on or shower against is a different job. The preparation and the cure decide whether it lasts, and a failed pour has to be scraped or ground off. See DIY or hire a pro.
How much does epoxy resin work cost?
A resin floor costs €30 to €130 a m² fitted. A poured epoxy worktop is about €540 to €840 a m², and a resin coat over the worktop you have about €300 to €480 a m². Jointless shower walls run €60 to €120 a m². See what epoxy resin work costs.
Is epoxy resin safe in a kitchen?
Fully cured, it's a hard, inert plastic. Before that it isn't: it needs about a week at room temperature. Ask for the product's food contact suitability in writing. Since 20 January 2025 the EU has banned BPA in food contact varnishes and coatings. See is epoxy resin food safe.
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