Effects of epoxy, hardener, and diluent types on the workability of epoxy mixtures

- The addition of 5% diluent caused a decrease in viscosities between 52 and 72%.
- Glycidylether C12-C14 alcohol is the most effective diluent in reducing the viscosities of epoxy-diluent mixtures.
- There is a correlation between the flow of the mortars and the viscosities of the epoxy-diluent mixtures.
- Altering the type of the hardener used in epoxy mortars may increase the flow rate up to 2.8-fold.
- The higher the functionality of a hardener the shorter is the pot life of epoxy-hardener-diluent mixtures.

Three types of epoxy resins, namely, diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A and F, and a third obtained by mixing the two resins, and three types of reactive diluents, based on glycidylether, were used to form epoxy mixtures. The effect of diluent content up to 15 wt% on the viscosities of the three epoxies was investigated. The flow properties of mortars prepared with epoxy, hardener, and diluent, as a binder, were compared with respect to the viscosity and molecular weight of the epoxies and diluents, as well as the viscosity and shape of the hardeners used. Six types of hardeners, including four aliphatic and two based on cycloaliphatic amine, were used in the production of mortars. Furthermore, the effects of the type of epoxy, content, type and functionality of diluents, and the functionality and molecular structure of hardeners, on the pot lives of the mixtures were examined. In this study, it is found that not only the viscosities of resin and diluents but also viscosities and molecular structures of hardener and accelerator are effective on the workability properties of epoxy mortars.