Pot Life AKA Bucket Time: This is the amount of time the epoxy can remain in the bucket after the Base and the Activator have been mixed together before the epoxy starts to thicken up and becomes unusable.
Being from Florida it always amazes me when a manufacturer lists “Pot Life” or “Bucket Time” as 15, 20, or 40 minutes. Now I’m specifically talking about 100% solids “workhorse” type epoxies which every manufacturer has. I’m not talking about metallics which typically allow for an extended bucket time or tabletop and casting resins which allow for significant amounts of “bucket time” just so we’re clear.
The reality is that these specs are formulated in controlled laboratory conditions of 70 –75 degrees and low relative humidity. I bring this up because weather you’re in Florida or Utah, if you’re working in temperatures above 85 and specifically in the mid to upper 90’s, YOU HAVE NO BUCKET TIME. Leaving a 100% solids epoxy in a bucket for anything more than 2 – 5 minutes can be a recipe for disaster, and a very expensive one at that.
Your biggest takeaway here, what you need to remember the most, is that if your Data sheets say “bucket time 30 minutes” at 75 Degrees and 50% relative Humidity” and you’re using that product in New Mexico and it’s 99 degrees… Your adjusted bucket time is now “GET IT OUT OF THE BUCKET!”
