Benefits

Right from the Start

Interplastic is the marine manufacturer’s partner for high-quality results.

When your boat is manufactured with CoREZYN^® vinyl ester resin, you’ve got the best protection against unexpected damage from use in rough seas, at high speeds, or from constant exposure to water and the sun. Whether you’re paddling quiet waters in a canoe, running white water rapids in a kayak, screaming across chop in a bass boat, focused on winning a poker run, or watching a sunset aboard your prized yacht, CoREZYN vinyl ester resins and vinyl ester barrier coats help protect your investment for years of enjoyment.

The Right Durability

Vinyl ester resins, when used as a skin coat behind the gel coat or when they completely replace traditional laminating resins, provide the best protection against blistering. For boats that stay in the water continually, this is critical. Water can be corrosive to the laminate, but CoREZYN vinyl esters provide an inert barrier, thereby preventing absorption into the laminate by osmotic pressure. Blisters simply can’t occur.

Every time a laminate flexes, it causes fatigue and fatigue is cumulative. However, laminates made with CoREZYN vinyl esters have a remarkable ability to absorb shock, flex, and resist cracking. Over the years, a hull made with traditional laminating resins will fail more quickly than one made with CoREZYN vinyl ester. The resin’s toughness is one powerful reason your high-performance hull can navigate pounding seas at high speeds. Your boat will last longer and look great too.

The Right Process for the Environment

Boats can be made using several processes. Traditional laminates are often made using open molding, otherwise known as hand lay-up/spray-up.  For these processes, Interplastic Corporation developed pre-promoted, thixotropic resins. When the resin is sprayed or hand applied, these resins cling to vertical surfaces, so there are fewer opportunities for dry spots (resin voids) that may become weaknesses in the finished laminate. For years, Interplastic has been formulating its products with low VOC (volatile organic compounds) and low HAP (hazardous air pollutant) content. Manufacturers can select from a complete line of low VOC/low HAP resins and gel coats that perform as well as higher styrene counterparts. These lower emission formulas are healthier for our environment and for those who work with them.

Today, many boat manufacturers use closed mold processes. Resin transfer molding (RTM), light RTM, vacuum infusion (VIP) and vacuum-assisted resin transfer (VARTM) molding are all popular. These processes accomplish several goals. First, they create a laminate that has a high resin-to-glass ratio, free from voids or dry spots that may cause premature laminate failure. The laminates are also lighter without compromising strength. The mechanical process reduces the opportunity for inconsistent results. Interplastic has a complete line of resins that are compatible with today’s closed molding processes.

The Right Research

Interplastic Corporation conducted unprecedented research to determine how various laminates would perform after being immersed in water for 15 years. The critical findings revealed that:

• The composites made with 100% CoREZYN vinyl ester or skin-coated CoREZYN vinyl ester resins resist water absorption.
  
  
• An analysis of weight gain showed the vinyl ester panels quickly plateaued while the other panels did not. This means the vinyl ester prevented water from leaching out the polymer and compromising the laminate’s strength and durability over time.
  
  
• The 100% vinyl ester and vinyl ester skin-coated laminates had very little loss of their flexural strength and statistically had no change in their flexural modulus over 15 years. Flexural strength and flexural modulus measure how a composite withstands applied stress and load before failure by bending.
  
  
• The 100% vinyl ester and vinyl ester skin-coated laminates had the best impact strength resistance as well. This test determines a material’s ability to withstand shock loading and resist fracturing.

To a layman, this information might be somewhat confusing. Simply put, the research determined that laminates made with 100% CoREZYN vinyl ester or skin-coated with CoREZYN vinyl ester resin resist water absorption. These composites remain strong and durable over their lifetime. They enhance the value of your investment.

Learn the specifics of the research Interplastic conducted.

A 15-Year Study of the Effective Use of Permeation Barriers in Marine Composites to Prevent Corrosion and Blistering

Evaluation of Marine Composites' Physical Properties After 15-Year Immersion in Water