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Manufacturers create polyester resins through polycondensation, a reaction between polybasic acids and polyhydric alcohols. As a result, these resins usually appear in liquid form and harden when a catalyst triggers the reaction.
Moreover, thanks to their strength and flexibility, many industries—including construction, transport, and marine—use polyester resin as a general-purpose material. It comes in two forms: saturated and unsaturated. Specifically, the key difference is that saturated resin is synthetic and contains only the benzene ring.
Unsaturated polyester resins are the most common type of polyester resins and are easily identifiable by the double bond in their carbon chain. Furthermore, this resin offers higher heat resistance, greater tensile and compression strength, and improved resistance to chemical corrosion compared to their saturated counterparts. Consequently, they are best used for manual lamination, spray lamination, and injection mouldings. Additionally, they are available as a low-styrene product, making them more versatile for various applications.
Saturated polyester resins contain no double or triple bonds and rely on excess polyol (glycol) during the reaction process. As a result, they exhibit distinct chemical properties compared to their unsaturated counterparts. Moreover, many people recognize these resins more widely for their use as coating materials, while manufacturers frequently incorporate them into the production of printing inks. In addition, saturated polyester resins offer excellent weather resistance, strong resistance to dirt, and are highly cost-effective for non-critical applications.
Polyester resins can also be broken down by their chemistry. We stock our warehouses with a variety of orthophthalic, isophthalic and dicyclopentadiene – better known as DCPD resins.
Orthophthalic resins are inexpensive and offer a good base for any general moulding purposes. These resins offer good wet-out and cure to a tack-free finish without requiring any specialist heat or pressure. The next level up is an isophthalic resin, which handles more corrosive environments better and serves industries that demand higher resistance to water, heat, and chemicals. With better mechanical properties isophthalic resins have a higher molecular weight and often are less viscous than their orthophthalic counterparts.
DCPD resins are polyester resins that are best for use when a high surface finish is required. They offer a lower shrinkage in comparison to orthophthalic and isophthalic resins. However, this attribute does not necessarily indicate that it is a better resin choice. DCPD resins provide similar properties to orthophthalic resins but with a lower styrene content. It is common for these to be mixed with other polyester resins to increase its positive aspects.
Our resins from key suppliers: AOC, Ciech, Gazechim and Polynt offer excellent mechanical properties suitable for a wide range of general moulders. We supply a range of specialist polyester resins that also provide increased resistance to chemicals, temperature, weather, water, UV radiation as well as offering excellent mechanical and thermal parameters which give very high strength and durability of finished products
“Excellent service with a wide range of products, reps that know the job and can advise when needed, it’s nice to know if you have an issue, they are there to support my business which is key to its growth. All products advised have been excellent I am now more efficient and maximising my profit. Thank you to Craig for your continued help on new projects you have helped my business grow you have gone above and beyond to help.”
Composites in the construction industry are expected to reach sales of over $10 billion by the end of 2019. Considered one of the most significant sectors for composite products, our range of polyester resins create some of the pipes, liners, bathrooms, doors, window, swimming pools and roofs you see across the UK and Ireland every day.
Built for strength, versatility, as well as being able to create aesthetically pleasing products. When teamed with our gel coats and topcoats, these items can offer unrivalled heat and chemical resistance with relatively low maintenance.
“From advice on proper storage of moulds to recommending the right tools for the job in flow matt cutters for the RTM laminator, Tricel has been there every step of the way and will continue to be.”
Manufacturers use unsaturated polyester resins successfully in a wide range of marine products—from surfboards to yachts to industrial fishing boats—because they offer great flexibility while remaining light and robust. Our polyester resin offers excellent thixotropic properties with excellent water repellency and a high strength to weight ratio.
In the marine sector, resins need to be UV resistant, Lloyds approved (so not to be harmful to aquatic life) as well as have excellent resistance to chemicals and temperature variants. All our resins offer this plus a fantastic surface finish.
Although the automotive industry typically favors advanced composites like epoxy and carbon reinforcements, manufacturers still find uses for polyester resins in the growing automotive sector. When it comes to polyester resins used with fibreglass reinforcements offers superb durability, toughness and chemical resistance over a broad range of temperatures.
Unlike advanced composites, our polyester resins—when combined with our reinforcements—eliminate the need for an autoclave, allowing teams to repair, recreate, and reproduce parts more quickly than with advanced composites, which is critical in high-volume applications.
When we compared our previous complete parts to the newer ones made using Tricel’s Polycor Gel Coat and different production methods, we saw about a 10% drop in incomplete parts being rejected or needing extra attention from laminators due to air pockets or de-laminations.
Tricel and ECMS restored a WWII-era commercial flat roof at IWM Duxford using TriRoof HPX System, delivered ahead of schedule with a 20-year guarantee.
Honeycomb core materials offer lightweight strength, rigidity, and impact resistance—making them ideal for high-performance composite structures in aerospace, marine, and automotive applications.
Learn how BRoof(t4) certification ensures fire safety and compliance for liquid roofing systems, benefiting both contractors and end users.
Sustainability is no longer a luxury in construction—it’s a necessity. As the industry shifts toward greener practices, roofing systems are stepping up to play a key role. The TriRoof range from Tricel Composites offers a smart, eco-conscious alternative to traditional
