Adding Powder Fillers To Resin

When filled, resin can mimic many different finishes

such as Marble, Bronze, Wood and many more. A resins ability to accept filler powders, and its relative
low cost, makes it a choice of many for a reproduction material.

A combination of filler powders is best. The main advantages are:

 adding bulk and reducing the amount of resin required (reducing the cost of a reproduction
casting)

 reducing the exotherm of the resin during its curing process

 producing special finishes, such as a marble effect

 improving the post heat distortion of the resin

 adding or reducing the resins normal weight

To fill a resin with powder will make the resin much thicker and can effect the flow of the resin as a
casting medium. To cast large pieces in filled resin will produce a great deal of exotherm which can
result in warpage, greater shrinkage and in some cases cracking. To combat these effects, greater
quantity of filler powder is required.

A common filler to add to resin is a Microdol powder, such as H100, H400 or H600. This is an ideal filler
as it has a good cooling effect on the resin during exotherm but if added in very large quantities will
make the resin very thixotropic because it is a fine particle filler. To increase the quantity of powder to a
resin and retain the flowability, a second, or even third filler powder of a larger particle size should be
used.

It is possible to increase the filler content of resin from 60% filler to 80% and some combinations even
higher, without loss of flowability.

My preferred basic filler mix into polyester resin for Marble and general white castings is H600 and ATH
(aluminium trihydrate) and for Bronze effect casting H600 + ATH + bronze powder+ Antique black
powder.