10 facts about the Wencon Products & Solutions

1. Wencon’ Coatings consist of a “base” and a “hardening” agent. The two components are mixed in a simple mixture ratio 1:1 or 1: 2 and a chemical reaction occurs between the two parts that produce exothermic heat doing the curing process. Subsequently a solid protective coating with a hard surface has been obtained.
2. Wencon Ceramic Coatings are often used in harsh environments, like scrubbers, ballast water treatment systems etc. because of their outstanding chemical resistance, durability, low porosity and strong bond strength.
3. When commence mixing Wencon’ base and hardening agents the process pot life starts immediately and ends when the product curing process is begun, and the product no longer can be applied in accordance with the intended purpose. Depending of product choice, the pot life will be anywhere from minutes to 45 minutes. At the end of the pot life the mixture becomes very warm (or even dangerously hot) and quickly begins to harden.
4. Wencon’ pot life is always stated at 20ºC in our data sheets. A temperature change of approx. 8ºC will double or half the pot life and cure time of Wencon’ epoxy products. Higher temperatures will lower the viscosity (thin) the epoxy, but also reduce the pot life and herby shorten the working time to apply the epoxy. Spreading out the mixed epoxy instead of keeping it concentrated in a bucket or container will extend the pot life and the work time to apply the products.
5. Curing at about 20ºC, Wencon’ epoxies will start harden in minutes or hours after the pot life expire, depending of the product choice. Complete curing (hardening) will generally take several days, but as a golden rule of thumb, a completed application will be suitably hard to be put into operation and / or machined within a day “approx”.
6. Wencon epoxies become too thick and cure too slowly to be applied at temperatures below 10-15ºC. Temperatures above 20ºC are preferable and make applications significantly easier. After the epoxy has fully cured, it can handle temperatures well below 0ºC and up to approx. 300ºC as a filling compound.
7. Fully cured Wencon Coatings will begin to soften at high operating temperatures but will re-harden when the temperature is reduced. For our common Coatings temperatures of approximate 60ºC is upper end of operating temperature range. Nonetheless our high temperature epoxies upper range for corrosion, erosion and heavy loads will be approximately 160ºC.
8. Wencon’ coatings shall always be applied in two layers if it’s used as a protective coating. After application of first coat has been completed, the second coat applied shortly after the first coat will partially fuse to the first coat rather than forming a simple mechanical bond.
9. Wencon’ epoxy paste based products, are primarily used to rebuild and recover damaged surfaces to original size and shape. After curing has taken place the products can be machined just like metal.
10. Wencon’ UW products offer applications under water, as well as in moister and high humid surroundings. Our UW products don’t require much surface preparation prior to application and is therefore ideal for emergency and temporary repairs.