Genie Scientific provides all the necessary fixtures and accessories to give you a fully functional lab space. Genie Scientific works with two different types of materials when building custom laboratory countertops – Epoxy Resin and Phenolic Resin. There are advantages and disadvantages to both and depending on what type of laboratory and its uses, each should be considered. Garrett LeVan of Genie Scientific explains each one and will work with you in choosing the right one.
Epoxy Resin – Advantages & Disadvantages
Epoxy Resin is used in a variety of products such as adhesives, paints, primers, sealers and plastics. Epoxy Resin is used widely in construction as it has strong bonding properties as well it is durable in heat, impact and chemicals. Garrett LeVan provided further insight.
“It is made out of resins, hardeners and silica. It’s molded in sheets and cooked in an oven,” explains Garret LeVan. “It’s resistant to a huge range of chemicals. Probably its best aspect is it is resistant to high, high heat. Even temperatures over 350 degrees fahrenheit.”
Epoxy Resin tends to be used in laboratories that deal with higher temperature materials. Epoxy Resin tends to last a little bit longer than Phenolic Resin countertops, depending on use.
The main disadvantage to Epoxy Resin is it is only manufactured in 3 areas of the United States. North Carolina, Arkansas and Texas. This leads to higher cost, longer lead time and when needing replacement parts and pieces, it can take a lot longer to fix.
Phenolic Resin – Advantages & Disadvantages
Phenolic Resin is also used in a variety of products but is most commonly used in circuit boards, billiard balls, and laboratory countertops. Phenolic Resin also has strong bonding properties and is durable in heat, impact and chemicals. The main difference is explained by Garrett LeVan.
“To really simplify it, it is craft paper mixed with glues and resins put under extreme pressure and heat to make a kind of layered material,” explains Garrett LeVan. “Some things that I really like about it – we fabricate it here at Genie. We also work with some local fabricators. We buy it in sheets and cut it to size for your job. This gives us greater flexibility. If you want to make last minute changes, it is much easier than putting an order into an Epoxy Resin factory.”
There are a lot of similarities that Phenolic Resin has to Epoxy Resin. The main disadvantage is that Phenolic Resin is not conducive to working with temperatures higher than 350 degrees fahrenheit.
Which Is Better?
The question is more which is better for you. There are a lot of similar properties between Epoxy Resin and Phenolic Resin for chemical resistance, abrasion and durability. If you are going with really high heat – the choice is Epoxy Resin. If you are looking for more flexibility, quicker lead times and better pricing – the choice is Phenolic Resin.
For more information on which countertops to use for your laboratory, visit www.geniescientific.com and contact us.
