QUESTION: My epoxy is ‘behaving irregularly’, curing differently, has a different color, etc. Can you help?
ANSWER:
It is possible for a batch of epoxy to be faulty, but it is very rare. Most likely you are experiencing some variation in the epoxy that is allowed by the epoxy’s specification. Epoxies are manufactured in batches, with specified manufacturing windows for viscosity, work time, and every other parameter. This means the final product can and probably will show some variation. If your manufacturing process has been very specifically tailored for a given batch of epoxy, and a new batch of epoxy has slightly different properties, you may find yourself in a borderline situation with the new batch of epoxy. No doubt this kind of variation in results is very unwelcome to an up and running process. However, minor changes to the process frequently solve the issue at hand, and make for a more robust process overall. One approach is to take the epoxy and cure it all by itself (not in your application) and ensure it meets its own spec. This simple experiment may also offer clues to help you determine what might be needed to tweak your process – i.e. if the epoxy takes a little longer to cure, dwell a little longer in the oven, or raise the temperature a little, to ensure complete cure. Unfortunately color can’t be used to indicate much. Again, epoxies are made in batches, and the materials used by the manufacturers to synthesize the epoxy are subject to small variations as well. Small changes in the manufacturer’s raw materials and process are frequently what is responsible for variations in color.
Have a technical question for Fiber Optic Center?
Please email your question to AskFOC@focenter.com and we will respond ASAP.
In addition to replying, we will post your question and our answer here on focenter.com. Everyone remains anonymous when we post so feel comfortable asking. You can also search your question and others in our content search.
This article is an original publication of Fiber Optic Center, Inc. It is shared publicly for educational and reference purposes to support learning and professional development within the fiber optics industry.
You are welcome to read, cite, or reference this material for non-commercial and educational purposes, as long as full credit is given to Fiber Optic Center, Inc. and the author.
Reuse, reproduction, or adaptation of this content — including rewriting, republishing, or incorporating it into new materials (such as websites, blogs, marketing text, technical guides, or AI-generated content) — is not permitted without prior written consent from Fiber Optic Center, Inc.
This material is protected by copyright law upon publication, even if not formally registered.
Use of this content for AI training, automated data extraction, or derivative content generation is prohibited.
Fiber Optic Center monitors and enforces the integrity of its intellectual property through digital identifiers and content tracking.
For more details, please refer to the Fiber Optic Center Content Use and Copyright policy.
