White haze / discoloration of the epoxy

Is there a white dull haze on your epoxy resin artwork? Or does the surface look oily or milky? This is amine blush. Our experts give you tips on how to prevent and fix this.

Amine blush is an oily, greasy or dull white layer that can form on the surface of epoxy casting resin during curing. This is caused by the reaction of amines in the epoxy with carbon dioxide and moisture in the air.

Amine blush can happen to any user. Such a layer can cause any new layers of epoxy that you apply on top of it to not adhere properly. In addition, it does not look nice. To prevent amine blush when working with epoxy, we give the following tips.

How do you prevent amine blush?

Make sure you have all the necessary materials on hand before you start applying the epoxy coating.

• Optimize the working environment. Amine blush is created by a reaction of the epoxy with the air. Therefore, work in a clean, dry and well-ventilated space. Keep the work area free of dust and other contaminants.
• Ensure a stable temperature and humidity. Ensure that the room in which you are working and where the epoxy is curing remains at room temperature (19-21 degrees). Do not turn down the heating at night when your epoxy is curing. Avoid working with epoxy on humid days, because high humidity increases the chance of amine blush. The ideal humidity in the home is between 40-60%. Do not let epoxy cure in a room where you dry laundry, for example.

Do you see amine blush developing during curing?

Do you see a waxy, greasy or dull layer that can form on the surface of your epoxy artwork during curing? Don't panic! You can still remove this with a heat gun or a good hair dryer while the epoxy is curing. Carefully go over the surface of the epoxy with the heat tool. This will heat up the epoxy a little, causing the amine blush to disappear. Make sure that the epoxy does not get too hot.

How do you remove Amine blush from cured epoxy?

If amine blush occurs on cured epoxy such as an epoxy table or small jewelry you can actually remove it very simply. Follow the steps below:

1. Cleaning. First let the epoxy cure completely according to the instructions on the label.
   After this, clean your epoxy artwork with a damp cloth or sponge with a little dish soap to remove most of the amine blush. Acetone can also be effective in removing amine blush.

2. Sand the Surface. After this, lightly sand the affected area with fine sandpaper (200-300 grit for example) to remove damaged areas.

3. Cleaning. After sanding, you can clean the surface with a clean damp cloth to remove sanding residue.

4. Apply a new layer of epoxy . When the surface is clean and dry you can apply a new thin layer of epoxy. Let it harden (use the tips in this article) and your epoxy artwork will be completely beautiful again. See photo below.

More information?

Do you have questions about making art, jewelry or casting/coating floors or other objects? At itsOkay, several epoxy experts work, each with their own expertise. We are happy to help you. Contact itsOkay customer service or take a look at the Epoxy knowledge center .