Mek peroxide (MEKPO) is the most commonly used curing agent in the room temperature curing process of fiberglass reinforced plastics (FRP). However, in reality, there are many peroxides used for thermosetting resins, mainly classified into two categories: room temperature curing and high temperature curing.

Peroxides for Room Temperature Curing:

- Methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKP)

- Benzoyl peroxide (BPO)

- Cyclohexanone peroxide (CHPO)

- Acetylacetone peroxide (AAP)

- Peroxide mixtures

Peroxides for High Temperature Curing:

- Peroxides for extrusion processes

- Peroxides for SMC/BMC (Sheet Molding Compound/Bulk Molding Compound)

Among the many peroxides used for thermosetting resins, mek peroxide is the most widely used. Next, we will focus on how to correctly use mek peroxide.

For most FRP factories, mek peroxide is both "loved" and "hated"! To put it bluntly, if you do not properly handle or purchase inferior mek peroxide, it's like having a time bomb in your factory. No matter how hard you work, it could potentially nullify decades of effort overnight. Therefore, I urge all factories using MEKPO to address safety issues in its usage during the production process. First, avoid purchasing inferior curing agents produced by unregulated factories. Second, properly store the curing agents you purchase. By doing these two things well, the biggest safety hazard in the factory can be kept within a controllable range.

Since MEKPO has a significant impact on safety production and product quality, how can we, as users, choose good MEKPO products?

First, choose products produced by regular MEKPO manufacturers and verify whether the factory has the qualification to produce MEKPO.

Second, purchase MEKPO that meets the qualification requirements. High-quality MEKPO has the following conditions:

- Composition: Active oxygen content ≤ 10%; moisture content < 3%; methyl ethyl ketone content < 3%; solvent such as dimethyl phthalate or aliphatic esters.

- Stability of product quality: The reaction activity gel/curing time of the same batch of products should remain constant for several months.

- Consistency of product quality: The reaction activity of different batches of products should remain constant, ensuring that the gel/curing time of each supply does not change.

Finally, when signing relevant procurement contracts, request that the factory include the above-mentioned product quality parameters in the contract. This will provide a more secure arrangement.