Thermoset resins inherently require crosslinkers to cure and achieve their final, rigid, and infusible structure.
Crosslinkers play a critical role in forming the three-dimensional network that gives thermosets their unique properties, such as high strength, heat resistance, chemical stability, and structural integrity.
Structural Integrity and Hardness
Benefits: Crosslinkers react with resin monomers or oligomers to create a hardened network, providing high stiffness, excellent mechanical strength, and resistance to high temperatures and harsh chemicals.
Thermal Resistance & Chemical Resistance
Benefits: The resulting crosslinked structure significantly enhances the resin’s ability to withstand high temperatures and resist chemical attack, critical in applications like electrical laminates, aerospace components, and industrial equipment exposed to chemicals.
Improved Impact Resistance and Toughness
Benefits: Crosslinkers help balance rigidity with flexibility, which is essential in applications that experience stress and impact, like automotive parts, protective coatings, and flooring systems. The toughened structure absorbs shock while maintaining durability.
Enhanced Adhesion and Coating Performance
Benefits: Crosslinkers contribute to the adhesion properties of coatings, enhancing bonding to substrates and improving resistance to water, UV, and environmental factors. This is ideal for protective coatings in construction, marine, and industrial equipment.
Dimensional Stability and Low Shrinkage
Benefits: Crosslinking reduces shrinkage during curing, which is crucial for achieving dimensional accuracy in molds, castings, and laminates. DCPD-modified resins, for instance, exhibit minimal shrinkage, making them ideal for large parts like composite panels and automotive body parts.
Resistance to Moisture and Environmental Stress
Benefits: These crosslinkers form a robust, water-resistant network, making the final product suitable for exterior or moisture-exposed applications like plywood, particleboard, and outdoor composite materials.
Enable curing and solidification.
Establish a robust, infusible structure.
Tailor properties like heat resistance, mechanical strength, chemical stability, and impact resistance.
| RESIN | CROSSLINKERS | APPLICATIONS |
| Epoxy | Polyamines Polyamides Anhydrides Phenolic | Adhesives Aerospace Coatings Composites Construction Electrical Laminates Industrial Equipment Chemical Handling Marine Structural Parts |
| Unsaturated Polyester | Styrene Monomer Organic Peroxide | Adhesives Coatings Composite Panels Automotive Body Parts Composites Structural Parts |
| Vinyl Ester | Styrene Monomer Organic Peroxide | Adhesives Automotive Parts Coatings Composites Flooring Systems Protective Coatings Structural Parts |
| Phenolic | Formaldehyde Urea-Formaldehyde Crosslinkers | Adhesives Aerospace Coatings Composites Electrical Laminates Industrial Equipment Chemical Handling Outdoor Composites Plywood Particleboard Structural Parts |
| Bismaleimide | Diamines Dicyanate Esters | Aerospace Electrical Laminates Industrial Equipment Chemical Handling |
| Polyurethane | Diisocyanates Polyols | Automotive Parts Flooring Systems Protective Coatings |
| Acrylic | Polyisocyanates in two-component systems | Construction Industrial Equipment Marine |
| Dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) modified polyester resins | Styrene Monomer Organic Peroxide | Composite Panels Automotive Body Parts |
| Urea Formaldehyde | Formaldehyde Urea-Formaldehyde Crosslinkers | Outdoor Composites Plywood Particleboard |