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Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Mini Nautilus Minisub

Hi Doc,
 
This is getting good.  We should rap about 'glass for the benefit of those interested.  Right now I'm between runs down to the shop, but I'll be back later tonight.
 
I remember "micro balls" from working on homebuilt airplanes.  We used to mix it with the surfacing putty to lighten it up some.  But 1/2 inch glass balls filled with polystyrene foam is something else, though.  Gotta be for large area applications, no?    One thing about encapsulating polystyrene spheres in glass: it would keep the foam from being dissolved by styrene monomer in the resin.  Does this mean that the resin used in SYN has styrene monomer in it?  (I figure since it heats up, it probably does.  No?)
 
VBR,
 
Pat
 
----- Original Message -----
From: Doc
To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
Sent: Saturday, June 15, 2002 1:48 PM
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Mini Nautilus Minisub

Hi Pat

No, the only part of the Syntactic Foam that is curing is the resin the macro / micro glass spheres
are suspended in.

The macro spheres are about 1/2" in diameter and are filled with a polystyrene foam, they have a
thin glass shell and are remarkably tough little suckers.
The micro spheres are microscopic glass bubbles that have the consistency of fine powder that flows
like a liquid. It's cool stuff but when airborne it's really nasty. You always want to be wearing a respirator
when mixing this stuff.

Its kind of like mixing concrete, figure the macro / micro glass spheres are the
sand and gravel and the resin and catalyst is the water and cement.

 It's best to mix your resin on the cool side to give you enough working time.

Doc
 

Captain Nemo wrote:

Hi Doc, But does SYNTACTIC FOAM need to be cured at high (3-400 degrees F) temperatures: i.e., in an "oven"? Pat