Epoxy composition

Claim 1

A FREE-FLOWING SHELF STABLE, FAST CURING SOLID MOLDING POWDER FOR PRODUCING A MOLD ARTICLE HAVING HIGH TENSILE, FLEXURAL AND COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH, AND RESISTANCE TO DEGRADIATION AND DEFORMATION BY HIGH TEMPERATURES, COMPRISING THE COMMINUTED SOLID REACTION PRODUCT FORMED BY PREPARING A MELT MIXTURE OF EPOXY RESIN, FILLER AND CURING AGENT, BLENDING THE MELT AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE TO FORM A HOMOGENEOUS MIXTURE AT LEAST 25*F. BELOW THE COMPLETE CURE TEMPERATURE, WHICH COMPLETE CURE TEMPERATURE FALLS BETWEEN 250*F. AND 350*F., OF SAID MIXTURE AND IN THE ABSENCE OF TAKEOVER BY EXOTHERMIC REACTION UNTIL THE SOLIDS OF SAID MIXTURE ARE WET OUT WITH LIQUID AND THE MIXTURE FORMS, SUBSTANTIALLY SHORT OF COMPLETE CURE, A PARTIAL REACTION PRODUCT BETWEEN RESIN AND CURING AGENT WHICH IS SOLID AT ROOM TEMPERATURE, COOLING THE MIXTURE UNTIL SOLIDIFIED AND COMMINUTING THE RESULTING SOLID TO FORM SAID POWDER, SAID CURING AGENT COMPRISING 0.5 TO 1.5 EQUIVALENTS OF CYCLIC POLYCARBOXYLIC ACID ANHYDRIDE PER EQUIVALENT OF EPOXY RESIN AND 0.1 TO 25 WEIGHT PERCENT, BASED ON EPOXY RESIN, OF ZINC SALT OF A C2 TO C20 CARBOXYLIC ACID OVER AND ABOVE ANY AMOUNT OF SAID ZINC SALT USED FOR MOLD RELEASE FUNCTIONS, SAID FILLER BEING PRESENT IN SAID MIXTURE IN AN AMOUNT BY WEIGHT IN EXCESS OF THE TOTAL EPOXY RESIN AND ANHYDRIDE, SAID POWDER BEING CURABLE BY HEATING TO A MELT AT SAID CURE TEMPERATURE TO A COMPLETELY CURED PRODUCT AS SAID MOLDED ARTICLE WITHIN ABOUT 5 MINUTES AND, IN SPITE OF THE FAST CURE RATE, SAID MELT OF THE POWDER BEING FREEFLOWING THROUGH A SPRUE INTO AN ENCAPSULATING MOLD AT SAID COMPLETE CURE TEMPERATURE AND AT A LOW MOLD PRESSURE TO FILL THE MOLD PRIOR TO CURING OF MELT IN THE SPRUE, AND SAID POWDER BEING SHELF STABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID FREE-FLOWING AND CURING PROPERTIES FOR AT LEAST 2 MONTHS AT ROOM TEMPERATURE.