Vinyl Ester Gelcoats

Understanding Vinyl Ester and Polyester Resins and how the compare to Epoxies

The New World of Polymers – The facts about Polyesters, Vinyl esters and Epoxies

The fact that certain plastics and all fiberglass continuously give off emissions and can be toxic to the environment was not known until recently years. One example of this can be found when people put certain plastic food containers in microwaves and toxic elements were released into the food. Another example is drinking water tanks made out of fiberglass & gel coats where the fiberglass & gel coat break down, releasing styrene and oils into the water causing people to become very sick.

If you apply an epoxy resin it will bond to almost any substrate that has been prepared correctly. The material will film and dry from the top down causing it to be non-porous. Under a microscope there are no small hydration holes therefore each and every coat of epoxy not only bonds to the material it is being applied to it but is also watertight.

However, if you were roll or spray polyester or vinyl ester resin on a surface of concrete, steel or any substrate the resulting product woud not hold water. These resins dry in an outward fashion because of off gassing and under a microscope there are small holes left in the cured material. Even if you were to use a polyester or vinyl ester with a fiberglass matting it would still not hold water because of the pin holes in the material. Therefore, the only way to get a water tight product using these types of resins is to apply a gel coat over the surface.

In many locations the use of standard fiberglass has been outlawed for food applications, drinking water tanks, biological tanks and aquariums. The EPA and OSHA have found that polyesters, vinyl esters and gel coats continue to give off toxic fumes and eventually break down. As a result, all external and internal coatings must now be a certified NSF product by the Federal Government. NSF or ANSI products are all epoxies.

UltraGuard RESIN VERSUS TRADITIONAL VINYL ESTER AND POLYESTER RESINS

HOW KOREKOTE RESIN STACKS UP

UltraGurard EPOXY RESIN Pool Coating System IS 10X STRONGER THAN POLYESTER & VINYL ESTER RESINS

UltraGurard EPOXY RESIN Pool Coating System boots is many times stronger, parts can be designed lighter saving excessive material. Many products now being manufactured with polyester and vinyl ester resins can be switched over and made using SafeResin technology (e.g., boats, canoes, automobile body panel manufacturing, pool and spa manufacturing, etc.).

POLYESTER & VINYL ESTER RESINS ARE POROUS

Polyester and vinyl ester resins are porous and therefore will not hold water or other liquids for long periods of time. If examined under a microscope both materials will show tiny holes. UltraGurard Epoxy Resin Pool Coating System is non-porous and will bond to concrete, steel, wood and other substrates curing from the top down causing it to be non-porous. If examined under a microscope there are no small holes.

POLYESTER & VINYL ESTER RESINS LEACH TOXINS

The EPA and OSHA have tested polyester and vinyl ester resins over time and have discovered they continue to leach toxic components and eventually breakdown. The broken down material leaches harmful toxins into the environment. Landfills in some states are banning the disposal of most fiberglass products (made with polyester and vinyl ester resins) due to the harmful toxins that are leached. UltraGurard Epoxy Resin Pool Coating System, when cured will not breakdown and will not leach into the environment.

REAL WORLD Vinyl Ester and Polyester Resins STORIES

Case Study #1

In 1979 the concrete biological tanks at a college were coated with a polyester resin. While the material was being applied the fumes were so toxic that all the students had to leave the building where the work was being done and the fire department brought in. The EPA shut down the entire project and made school ventilate the building for several days. After the project was competed and tanks filled with water the fiberglass and gel coat deteriorated in less than 60 days killing all the fish in the tank.

Case Study #2

In the year 2000 a Marriott’s indoor pool was being coated with a vinyl ester resin & fiberglass. The fumes being emitted were so bad that a guest working out in the fitness room passed out. When the paramedics arrived, the toxicity level was too high for them to attend to the patient and therefore had to call the fire department. The building was evacuated, and the entire project shut down. The company repairing the pool was fined for using a high toxicity material in an enclosed area and lost the project. Another company using an epoxy-based product with low VOC content was hired to complete the project.

Case Study #3

In 2006 a company was applying a polyester fiberglass in a waste water tank for a project in Virginia. The off gassing from the polyester resin in a confined area caused the tank to explode killing two people who were working on the project. The company was fined by OSHA for using the toxic polyester resin material and not following OSHA codes.

The VOC content and off gassing of Vinyl Ester and Polyester resins have been documented to trigger pacemakers, cause asthma attacks, increase heart rates and potentially cause serious breathing issues. In addition, there have been many documented cases of people breaking out in rashes caused by material breakdown in swimming in pools coated with polyesters or vinyl esters & gel coat.

Historically, epoxy products have been very expensive but due to changes in manufacturing processes and materials the costs to produce have started to come down. However, it is important to note that not all epoxies are created equal and some can have high toxicity levels such as the vinyl ester and polyester resins. These epoxies are typically manufactured with a Zylene or MEK base and have high VOC content. Epoxies that are alcohol based and use byproducts of soybeans, peanuts and other natural materials have far lower VOC content and are much more user friendly.