Hycat™ OA – Liquid Epoxy Catalyst

Hycat™ OA is a proprietary liquid catalyst that accelerates the reaction of various epoxy resins with carboxylic acids and other small ring compounds while providing formulators with:

ü Low Reaction Onset Temperatures for early gel and low to moderate temperature curing

ü Low Peak Temperatures for more even distribution of reaction exotherm

ü Superior performance for the manufacture of Epoxy Acrylates (aka Vinyl Esters)

ü Liquid material that is easy to handle, easy to load and provides trouble-free blending

ü Non-hazardous and low odor catalyst that is not regulated for transportation

The unique low temperature and overall curing characteristics of Hycat™ OA provide a more even distribution of the heat evolved from a polymer reaction leading to the production of consistently uniform cures that are free from cracks and voids. This is particularly useful in the curing of composites where materials that have been wet out with low viscosity resins require a quick gel but are sensitive to excessive exotherms which can lead to hidden defects in the final cure. Similarly thick parts that generate large amounts of internal heat that is difficult to dissipate will benefit greatly from the use of Hycat™ OA.

The low temperature characteristics of Hycat™ OA make it an excellent catalyst for the preparation of epoxy acrylates (aka vinyl esters) where temperature control is critical. Recent studies on the BADGE/Acrylic Acid and BADGE/Methacrylic Acid reactions with a Triphenylantimony inhibitor and 0.75 phr Hycat™ OA conducted at 70^oC produced acid conversions of >98% in just under 180 minutes versus 55% conversion for Triphenylphosphine. Lower reaction temperatures allow for greater double bond retention and less risk of a runaway exotherm.

Hycat™ OA is a liquid so it is easy to handle, easy to load, easy to adjust and is readily cleaned up with typical organic solvents. Hycat™ OA accelerates materials with monomeric, dimeric or polymeric functional groups and will perform very well in the presence of a number of popular toughening agents. This provides formulators with great flexibility to meet desired cure temperatures, cure cycles, pot life, glass transition temperature and mechanical specifications.

Hycat™ OA is REACH and RoHS compliant and manufactured under ISO 9002 quality assurance control standards. Free 60g (60mL) evaluation samples are available via our sample request page or send email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Typical Physical Properties Available Quantities

Physical State	Liquid	Packaging (HDPE All)	Net Wt
Appearance (color)	Emerald Green	200L Drums	200 Kgs (440 Lbs)
Viscosity (cP)	< 200 @ 25^oC	50L Drums	50 Kgs (110 Lbs)
Density	1.0 @ 25^oC	20L Jerricans	20 Kgs (44 Lbs)
Shelf Life	5 years	4L Bottles	4 Kgs (8.8 Lbs)

Recommended Uses:

Hycat™ OA is highly recommended for the preparation of epoxy acrylates (aka vinyl esters).

Hycat™ OA is also recommended for use in epoxy/carboxylic acid formulations. Most epoxy resins, including Aliphatic, Cycloaliphatic, Phenol-Type Di-and Tri-Glycidyl Ethers, Novolacs and many other epoxy resins will benefit with the use of Hycat™ OA.

Not recommended for use with anhydrides. For anhydride applications please see information on Hycat™ 3100S, Hycat™ AC-4, Hycat™ SM-3, and Hycat™ AO-4.

Additional Information:

Hycat™ OA loadings typically range from 1 to 5 phr (parts per hundred epoxy resin) however higher or lower concentrations can be used depending on the formulation and desired end result. Cured products will have a light green tint, the intensity of which is determined by catalyst loading.

DTCS recommends that for evaluations conducted with Hycat™ OA that Hycat™ 2000S also be evaluated. Both products perform similarly but depending upon the formulation, each may have unique synergistic differences that could be advantageous.

Hycat™ OA is based on an activated (DTCS Proprietary Process) oxo-centered-trinuclear Chromium +3 complex. Chromium +3 compounds (aka trivalent chromium), are generally considered to be non-toxic by the EPA and are not to be confused with hazardous Chromium +6 compounds (aka Hexavalent Chromium). In fact Chromium +3 compounds are sold as over the counter dietary supplements such as chromium picolinate and Chromium +3 is considered to be an essential trace element for the human metabolism. For more toxicological information on Chromium +3 please see the US Dept of Health & Human Services, National Institute of Health website at https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Chromium-HealthProfessional/

Hycat^TM OA – Comparative Data

The following tables and graphs provide comparative data on epoxy acrylate synthesis conducted with 0.5% Hycat™ OA @ 70^oC and DSC and viscosity data for basic epoxy formulations catalyzed by Hycat™ OA and other common epoxy catalysts at approximately 2% catalyst loading by weight (~ 4 to 6 phr depending upon formulation).

Epoxy Acrylate Synthesis at 70^oC

GRAPH OA-1