Types of Epoxy:

1- Epoxy resin will fall under two principal categories - glycidyl or

non-glycidyl. Glycidyl resins come under the subcategories of
glycidyl-ether, glycidyl-ester, and glycidyl-amine. The non-
glycidyl variety will either be aliphatic or cyclo-aliphatic.
Glycidyl-ether epoxies are the most commonly used,
particularly those of the bisphenol and novolac variety.
Bisphenol Epoxy Resins
Bisphenol-A diglycidyl ether (DGEBA) is a commonly used
variety of commercial epoxy resin. It is produced as a result of the
reaction of bisphenol-A on contact with epichlorohydrin in the
presence of a basic catalyst. This variety of epoxy resin has the
lowest molecular weight.
Aliphatic Epoxy Resins
These types of epoxy resins are produced either as a result of
double bond epoxidation (involving cycloaliphatic epoxides and
epoxidized vegetable oils) or reaction with epichlorohydrin
(glycidyl ethers and esters). Cycloaliphatic epoxides feature one or
more aliphatic ring in the molecule containing the oxirane ring.
They have a defined aliphatic structure, high oxirane content, and
absence of chlorine. This makes for low levels of viscosity, good
weather resistance, low dielectric constants, and high Tg.
Novolac Epoxy Resins
These types of resins are produced as a result of contact and
reaction between phenol and methanol (formaldehyde). The
reaction of epichlorohydrin and novolacs results in the formation of
novolacs with glycidl residues including epoxyphenol novolac
(EPN) or epoxycresol novolac (ECN). Such epoxies do not contain
solvents or volatile organic compounds. Being free of VOCs, they

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are extremely safe to use and respirators aren’t required. They have
a relatively high level of adhesive strength, making for good levels
of coverage. Protection and durability are also assured in the
application of these resins.
Halogenated Epoxy Resins
These epoxy resins are admixed for special properties. This
involves the application and mixture of brominated and fluorinated
varieties. Brominated bisphenol A is the preferred option for flame
resistance and electrical applications. However, the commercial
production and use of such resins is limited due to the associated
cost and low Tg.
Epoxy Resin Diluents
The creation of epoxy diluents involves the glycidylation of
aliphatic alcohols or polyols. The materials produced as a result of
such processes may be either monofunctional (e.g. dodecanol
glycidyl ether), difunctional (butanediol diglycidyl ether), or higher
functionality (e.g. trimethylolpropane triglycidyl ether).
Glycidylamine Epoxy Resins
These epoxy resins have relatively high levels of functionality and
are formed as a result of the contact reaction between aromatic
amines and epichlorohydrin. Industrial grades include triglycidyl-
p-aminophenol (functionality 3) and N,N,N′,N′-tetraglycidyl-bis-
(4-aminophenyl)-methane (functionality 4). They have a low-
medium viscosity at room temperature, making them easier to
process than EPN or ECN varieties. (A Complete Guide to Epoxy
Resin).

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2- by Martin Ruch and Jim Collins, PhD, PE
Epoxy types vary widely, and specifiers need to note such
attributes as nozzle time, gel time, load time, sag, cure time, and
chemical resistance—each property will affect what makes the
product ideal for the intended application.
When searching for the proper epoxy to specify, it is important to
note there are three general classes of epoxy—pure epoxy,
polyester resins, and epoxy acrylates—that break out in different
ways with respect to properties and performance.
Pure epoxy is typically just a resin and a hardener. Pure epoxy
cures at a slower rate than the other product classes (polyesters and
epoxy acrylates) and, as a result, it offers less shrinkage, excellent
adhesion, and high strength performance. However, with slow cure
times, pure epoxy should not be specified for low-temperature
applications (generally limited to a 4-C [40-F] minimum substrate
temperature). Further, this material should not be specified for
situations where it will be loaded as quickly as the other two epoxy
product categories. For instance, in overhead installations, it would
not be the first choice.
Unlike pure epoxy with its slow cure times, polyester resins cure
through polymerization that is relatively fast—this means such
products can be specified for lower temperatures (down to as low
as 2 C [35 F]), and contractors who use polyester resins will find
they can be loaded much sooner after being installed. Polyester
resins are ideal to specify in concrete masonry unit (CMU) wall
construction.
The third choice, epoxy acrylates, offers specifiers the best
features of pure epoxy with those of polyester resins. Epoxy
acrylates resins quickly cure, but offer the good chemical
resistance properties of pure epoxy.

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Epoxy acrylates can also achieve high characteristic loads and they
can be specified in applications involving damp substrates or
relatively low temperatures. On the other hand, they are a ‘stiffer’
epoxy, making them inappropriate to be specified for applications
involving cracked concrete. The components of an epoxy acrylate
are mixed in larger mixing ratios (i.e. 10:1), which are easily
identified in side-by-side cartridges.
Another epoxy product in product catalogs is ‘vinylester’—a
polyester/epoxy acrylate formulation. However, it really is just a
term used by marketers, so it is important to check the
manufacturer’s literature to know exactly what one is getting.
Color does not matter for any of these epoxy classes. Generally, the
industry standard is a white resin and black hardener, but these
colors are not important for performance—the resulting gray,
without streaks, serves as an indicator the components have been
proportionately mixed.
What makes epoxies different?
Epoxy types in each of the three classes named above offer wide-
ranging performance traits. If the intended end use is to install
overhead bolts in an indoor pool application, for example,
specifying a pure epoxy will offer chemical resistance against
corrosive chlorine, but its slow cure rate makes it prone to sagging.
An epoxy acrylate may be the ideal choice, due to its combination
of a fast cure time and chemical resistance.
By comparison, pure epoxy would be ideal to specify for the
downward installation of an anchor bolt in dry concrete, yielding
best-in-class strength. (Epoxy Types: A guide for specifiers).

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