Low-Viscosity Isophthalic Resin data sheet (PDF)Ask for a quote
Why jute composites
Jute is a renewable, locally grown fibre, and jute mats and fabrics can replace part or all of the glass in some composite products. Jute-reinforced panels, boards, door skins, furniture parts and moulded shapes are made where the product’s loads suit a natural fibre and where a lower-glass or natural-fibre product is wanted.
What makes jute different
Compared with glass mat, jute reinforcement is bulkier and absorbent, and its fibres vary with source and processing. Resin has to penetrate a thicker, more resistant structure, and the fibre brings moisture into the laminate. Both affect how well the composite is consolidated and how durable it is.
Questions to settle
Product and material questions
- Mat or woven fabric, and its weight per square metre.
- Jute source and how it is stored and conditioned.
- Moulding process: hand lay-up, press moulding or another method.
- Part thickness and the cure time available.
- Service environment — indoor, humid or outdoor.
Where SPR 301 LV fits
SPR 301 LV is the catalogue’s low-viscosity, non-thixotropic isophthalic grade designed for jute impregnation and jute-reinforced mouldings. Its typical viscosity of 80–180 cPs at 25 °C penetrates thick mats more readily than a general laminating resin, and its long typical gel time of 40–90+ minutes at 25 °C allows impregnation to finish before gel.
Published typical values
| Property | Low-Viscosity Isophthalic Resin (SPR 301 LV) |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | Isophthalic unsaturated polyester |
| Appearance | Clear, water-white to light-straw liquid |
| Viscosity (typical) | 80–180 cPs at 25 °C |
| Gel time / pot life (typical) | 40–90+ minutes at 25 °C |
| Specific gravity / density (typical) | 1.03–1.09 |
| Styrene content (typical) | 42–50% by weight |
| Reference cure | MEKP 1.5% + Cobalt Octoate 0.2% — added separately during use |
| Source of values | 2026 catalogue; grade TDS |
Typical values, reproduced from each product’s own published data. They describe the liquid resin at its reference condition, not a finished part, and are not guaranteed limits.
Moisture, cure and trials
Moisture on and in the fibre interferes with wetting and with cure at the fibre surface, so conditioning jute to a consistent, low moisture content before use is part of consistent production. Trials should use jute from the production supply, conditioned the way production will condition it.
Note the lower cobalt level in the reference cure — cobalt octoate 0.2% with MEKP 1.5%, added separately — and the high styrene content of 42–50% by weight, which calls for good ventilation. No jute-composite strength or durability data are published for the grade; those belong to the composite and its testing.