WEICON Plastic Metal F2
Flowable | aluminium-filled | non-corrosive
The epoxy resin system WEICON F2 is suitable for the casting of models, moulds and templates, for the repair of porous and damaged castings, for the production of prototypes and holding devices, and for pouring out swages to test precision. It can be used in tool construction, model and mould making, and in many other industrial applications.
Surface pre-treatment
The successful application of WEICON F2 depends on the thorough preparation of the surfaces. This is the most important factor for overall success. Dust, dirt, oil, grease, rust and moisture or wetness have a negative impact on the adhesion. Therefore, before processing WEICON F2, the following points must be observed: The areas to be bonded or repaired must be free of any oil, grease, dirt, rust, oxides, paint and other impurities or residues. For cleaning and degreasing, we recommend WEICON Cleaner Spray S.
Smooth and particularly heavily soiled surfaces should additionally be treated by mechanical surface pre-treatment, e.g. by grinding or preferably by blasting. In case of blasting, the surface should be brought to a degree of purity of SA 2 ½ - "Near White Blast Cleaning" (according to ISO 8501/1-2, NACE, SSPC, SIS). In order to achieve an optimum surface roughness of 75 - 100 μm, angular, disposable blasting media (aluminum oxide, corundum) should be used. The surface quality is negatively influenced by the use of reusable blasting media (slag, glass, quartz), but also by ice blasting. The air for blasting must be dry and oil-free. Metal parts that have come into contact with sea water or other salt solutions should first be rinsed thoroughly with demineralised water and, if possible, left to rest overnight so that all salts can be dissolved from the metal. Before each application of WEICON F2, a test for soluble salts should be carried out according to the Bresle method (DIN EN ISO 8502-6).
The maximum amount of soluble salts remaining on the substrate should not exceed 40 mg/m². Heating and repeated blasting of the surface may be necessary to remove all soluble salts and moisture.
After each mechanical pre-treatment, the surface should be cleaned again with WEICON Cleaner Spray S and protected from further contamination until the coating is applied.
Areas where no adhesion to the substrate is desired must be treated with silicone-free mould release agents. For smooth surfaces, we recommend WEICON Mould Release Agent Liquid F 1000 or, for porous surfaces, WEICON Mould Release Agent Wax P 500.
After the surface pre-treatment, WEICON F2 should be applied as soon as possible (within one hour) to avoid oxidation, flash rust or new contamination.
Mixing
Before adding the hardener, the resin needs to mixed with the fillers thoroughly and without creating bubbles. Then mix the resin and hardener together thoroughly and bubble- free for at least four minutes at 20°C (68°F). The included processing spatula or a mechanical mixer, such as the Stirrer Stainless Steel, can be used for this purpose. With mechanical mixers, a low speed of max. 500 rpm should be used. The components should be stirred until a homogeneous mixture is achieved. The mixing ratio of the two components must be strictly observed, as otherwise, strongly deviating physical values will result (max. deviation +/- 2 %). Only prepare a batch as large as can be processed within the pot life of 60 minutes. The specified pot life refers to a material batch of 500 g and 20°C (68°F) material temperature. Mixing larger quantities or higher processing temperatures will result in faster curing due to the typical reaction heat of epoxy resins.
Application
For processing, we recommend an ambient temperature of 20°C (68°C) at less than 85% relative humidity. For a thin pre-coat, work WEICON F2 intensively into the surface in crosswise layers using the Contour Spatula Flexy or a paint brush to achieve maximum adhesion. By means of this technique, the epoxy resin penetrates well into all cracks and roughness depths. Afterwards, further applications can be carried out straight away, until the desired layer thickness is reached. Make sure that the epoxy resin is applied evenly and without air bubbles.