<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0">In a message dated 5/18/2003 8:42:56 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Tom.Koenig@actewagl.com.au writes:<BR>
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<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Subj:<B>micro-balloons etc </B><BR>
Date:5/18/2003 8:42:56 PM Eastern Daylight Time<BR>
From:<A HREF="mailto:Tom.Koenig@actewagl.com.au">Tom.Koenig@actewagl.com.au</A><BR>
Reply-to:<A HREF="mailto:discussion@nsrca.org">discussion@nsrca.org</A><BR>
To:<A HREF="mailto:discussion@nsrca.org">discussion@nsrca.org</A><BR>
<I>Sent from the Internet </I><BR>
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Help.....please<BR>
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Gray, Matt, Lance.... anyone.<BR>
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I have a huge tub at home that is a white fluffy powder, which weighs<BR>
nothing...( Nooooo....not that sort of powder<VBG>) I dont know wether it is<BR>
micro balloons or cabosil, or whatever.<BR>
When I mix it with epoxy it sort of forms the white stuff which you commonly<BR>
see in the corners of layups ( to help lay the glass), but it isnt quite the<BR>
same, it seems to be more translucent.<BR>
Am I not mixing properly? It seems that when I keep adding more powder it<BR>
becomes too dry and unworkable. It also doesn't seem that light which makes<BR>
me think it isnt micro balloons. Is it the resin I'm using ( LC 3600)?<BR>
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Sorry for the moronic question...but how can I tell what I've got? Also what<BR>
exactly is used as the fillers in the ZN kits, Bollys etc ? Do they use a<BR>
thixotropic additive in the resin when they form the fillets etc.<BR>
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Thanks guys<BR>
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Tom</BLOCKQUOTE><BR>
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Tom It's probably cabosil fumed silica. This material makes epoxy thixotropic when used in smaller quantities. I don't like it as filler because it is very tough to sand. But as an additive to epoxy for mold making, it's great stuff, since it produces a pretty hard surface, and very smooth finish.<BR>
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Matt </FONT></HTML>