Role of Gelcoat
Gelcoat is the decorative surface found on fiberglass parts such as boats, bathtubs, and restaurant seats. This outer layer is needed for aesthetics and protection of the underlying laminate structure. Chemically it is unsaturated polyester/vinylester resin that is unreinforced but heavily filled with a complex variety of additives. These additives are used to determine its color, UV stability, and chemical resistance.
The manufacture of fiberglass parts typically requires a gelcoat layer to aid in the release of the parts from the mold. The parts that will be painted also are manufactured with gelcoat but it is a “sandable” variety. These parts are often automotive-related, and may include pickuptruck toppers, fiberglass kitcar bodies, and other aftermarket add-ons such as running boards or hood scoops.
The unsaturated polyester/vinylester gelcoat is directly compatible with resins and laminate of the same chemistry. Gelcoat can be used with epoxy resins but requires a tiecoat for adhesion because of the chemistry difference.
Gelcoat is applied at 18 to 25 mils (thousandths) and will lose thickness as it cures. Typically when it is dry on the part, it can be down to 12 to 18 mils. This is a lot thicker than a painted surface. One of the disadvantages of gelcoat is that it can be more difficult to repair, especially with color matching. The thickness typically allows for sanding out scratches and blemishes, but going through can be painful and will require a respray. The outer layers of gelcoat will likely discolor over time due to UV degradation, and sanding and buffing into the underlying gelcoat may cause discoloration as the layers are different colors depending upon the depth.
A couple of design considerations
FRP Composites have their own special set of considerations in design and use. And we will discuss a few here. The traditional fiberglass (unsaturated polyester with glass reinforcement) uses gelcoat on the molded (decorated) side. This is really only one side of the part, as this is not a matched-mold process. So the back side needs to be hidden from view or covered with another material, etc.
A boat, for example has a Deck and a Hull that are mated together so that the back sides of the parts are hidden from view. The inside of the cabin is then upholstered and trimmed out for comfort and decoration.
I have worked with fiberglass tabletops before where the top side is gelcoated in a decorative finish and the edge wraps down and trimmed. All of the unsightly surfaces face the floor where they cannot be viewed.
There are a few closed-mold processes that can be implemented, but these really only achieve a Class B surface out of the mold. With rework and repair, a Class A surface can be accomplished. I know of some folks that make Boat Access Hatches where they repair the backside (bottom) and rework it so it looks pleasant when opened.
Molded-in features must be used with caution. Sharp edges must be avoided because the process hates having to get resin and reinforcement into them, and because they can be stress concentrators.
Parts also need to have a minimum of 2-5 degrees of draft or angle in the pull direction so they can be removed from the mold. Molded in undercuts and reverses with multipiece molds add extreme expense and difficulty. Molded-in holes are not general practice because the process does not allow for crisp edges on these details.
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