The differences of active diluents and inactive diluents In epoxy system

Chemical activity:

1)Reactive diluents: These diluents have a certain degree of chemical activity and may react chemically with the epoxy groups or other active groups in the epoxy resin. For example, reactive diluents can participate in the cross-linking reaction of the epoxy resin, affecting its curing speed and cross-linking density.

2)Inactive diluents: These diluents are usually inert resins. They only play the role of dilution and viscosity adjustment, and have little effect on the chemical structure and curing process of epoxy resins.

Curing speed and physical properties:
1)Reactive diluent: Because it participates in the chemical reaction of epoxy resin, it may affect the curing speed, cross-linking density and final physical properties of the coating after curing, such as hardness and chemical resistance.

2)Inactive diluent: Mainly affects the rheological properties and construction performance of the coating, and has little effect on the curing speed and physical properties after curing.

Application Features:
1)Reactive diluent: commonly used in situations where it is necessary to adjust the curing speed of the coating, improve the coating properties (such as chemical resistance) or increase the durability of the coating.
2)Inactive diluent: Mainly used to adjust the viscosity and rheological properties of the coating, and improve its construction performance and appearance.

In summary, the main difference between active diluents and inactive diluents in epoxy resin systems is whether they are chemically active and the degree of their influence on the coating curing process and post-curing properties. The selection of a suitable diluent should take into account the specific coating formulation requirements and the performance requirements of the final application.