Weird Question

[Jmhoff10500]

Does anybody know if PR would set in a cold climate, say, a freezer? Ive got an out of this world project going on that has to do with ice, PR, and pens. If PR doesn't, is there a type of casting resin that would? ill get back to you guys with the results if it works (or even if it fails miserably...)

 

[PTownSubbie]

Water and PR don't mix. I think it causes instant hardening or fogginess.

I don't know of anything that works well with water. I try to keep water as far as possible from PR. I don't remember where I read that though.

 

[NewLondon88]

Heat sets the resin, and a freezer would stop that from happening.
You'd need to find a plastic that isn't thermosetting. Perhaps a thermoplastic
would be what you're looking for?

 

[DozerMite]

It doesn't take heat to set PR, it just speeds the process. I've left (forgot) castings in the shop for a couple days with the temp below freezing and they cured and turned just fine. The ice would be another story though.

 

[Jgrden]

Got my curiosity going.

 

[Karin Voorhis]

looking much forward to this one.

 

[NewLondon88]

The resin is pre-promoted, so yes.. it will eventually cure without heat. But
that might take a year or more. In freezing temps, I'd think much more.
the reason we're adding the catalyst (MEKP) is to start a chemical reaction
that will generate heat to speed the cross-linking (curing) So putting it in
the freezer would tend to counteract the heat being supplied by the
chemical reaction, wouldn't it? I know I've had resins not cure for several
days when the temp went down below 50 or so, but I admit I never put it in
the freezer..

 

[Glass Scratcher]

The resin is pre-promoted, so yes.. it will eventually cure without heat. But
that might take a year or more. In freezing temps, I'd think much more.
the reason we're adding the catalyst (MEKP) is to start a chemical reaction
that will generate heat to speed the cross-linking (curing) So putting it in
the freezer would tend to counteract the heat being supplied by the
chemical reaction, wouldn't it? I know I've had resins not cure for several
days when the temp went down below 50 or so, but I admit I never put it in
the freezer..

The delay or failure for PR to cure due to the loss of heat generated in the catalytic reaction is a called a thermal inhibition.