Sika have announced the launch of a new epoxy resin family which boasts greater performance in high temperatures. The new resin is accompanied by 4 new hardeners all offer similar properties but with working times ranging from 60 to 210 minutes.
The new system named CR132 can reach temperatures of over 130°C when properly cured. Due to this they are suitable for the production of dark painted aircraft. Despite solar heating on the aircraft skin due its dark paint, the system will still perform to a high standard and be thermally stable.
Biresin CR132 resin is a hand laminating base system with 3 hardeners (Biresin CH132-2, -5, -7), all of which offer similar properties but have varying pot lives, from 60 to 210 minutes, allowing for efficient production of different size parts.
Based on the properties of the base CR132 epoxy resin and using the building block principle, two further resins have been developed. Biresin CR132 FR that with the existing hardener Biresin CH132-2, is a special flame retardant (=FR) matrix. This can be used, for example, in the production of cowlings and fireproof bulkheads via hand lamination. This system, CR132FR/CH132-2, achieved a V-0 rating when tested according to the UL94 vertical flammability test. The final resin system uses a different resin, Biresin CR131, which allows for processing via vacuum infusion. This resin with the hardeners CH132-5 and -7 plus another hardener CH135-4 can then be used to produce composites via the infusion process to achieve even higher material performance than those made by hand laminating.
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