To understand plastic you need a lot of time and a good working knowledge of chemistry at the very least. Currently I am trying to find out what epoxy resin actually is. Sigh! Here’s what I got….
It is a thermoset plastic which means it can only be heated and shaped once.
Most epoxy resins are petroleum derived but some plant derived sources are now becoming commercially available such as plant derived glycerol.
Properties Good electrical insulator, hard, brittle unless reinforced, resists chemicals well
Principal uses Casting and encapsulation, adhesives, bonding of other materials. And lining tin cans.
Epoxy resin can be mixed with additives, plasticizers or fillers to create different products with a range of properties Use of blending, additives and fillers is often referred to as formulating.”
Bisphenol A (BPA)
And of course the one everyone is concerned about ….. BPA is an integral part of most epoxy resins.
“The most common and important class of epoxy resins is formed from reacting epichlorhydrin with bisphenol A to form diglycidyl ethers of bisphenol A.”
Many consider BPA to be a health hazard.
Nearly all tin cans are lined with epoxy resin. and have been since the 50s. The liner can be white or yellow or transparent in which case it is undetectable. BPA can leach from the liner into the contents of the can. For more on this read Why Does My Can Have A Liner & Is It Bad For Me.
Other Resins
- Bisphenol F epoxy resin
- Novolac epoxy resin
- Aliphatic epoxy resin
- Glycidylamine epoxy resin