"Motorboat on water with Scott Bader gelcoats and composites used in marine applications, showcasing durability in outdoor recreation" [G]

Polyester Resins

Scott Bader's Crystic range of polyester resins has been trusted by engineers and manufacturers for over 70 years, delivering consistent performance across some of the most demanding industrial applications in the world. Whether you're specifying for marine, construction, land transport or industrial fabrication, our resins are developed to meet the technical requirements of your process and the performance standards of your end product. With global supply and acclaimed technical support, we're here to help you get it right.

Categories

What Are Polyester Resins?

Unsaturated polyester resins are versatile thermosetting polymers widely used in composite manufacturing. They cure at room temperature when combined with a catalyst, making them well-suited to a broad range of processing methods including hand lay-up, resin infusion, spray-up and filament winding. Key characteristics include:

  • High strength-to-weight ratio, effective in structural and load-bearing applications

  • Good resistance to water, chemicals and environmental weathering

  • Compatibility with glass, carbon and natural fibre reinforcements

  • Cost-effective processing across high-volume and bespoke manufacturing alike

  • Formulations ranging from general purpose through to fire-retardant and low-styrene variants

Our Polyester Resin Range

Our portfolio covers a wide range of formulations to suit specific performance, processing and regulatory requirements:

  • General purpose resins — reliable for standard laminating and moulding applications

  • Structural resins — engineered for higher mechanical performance in loadbearing composite structures

  • Fire-retardant resins — the Crestafire range, formulated to meet stringent fire, smoke and toxicity (FST) standards for rail, construction and transport, including EN45545-2 HL2/HL3 and BS476 Class 1 compliance

  • Low styrene and bio-based options — the Crystic Bio range, for manufacturers reducing VOC emissions and working with renewable raw materials

Applications of Polyester Resins

Our resins are used across a wide range of industries and fabrication processes. If you're working in any of the following sectors, there's a Crystic formulation built for it:

  • Marine — boat hulls, decks and structural components requiring durability, water resistance and long-term performance. Scott Bader has been trusted by leading boatbuilders since 1951. Explore marine applications

  • Building & construction — cladding panels, roofing, sanitaryware, chemical containment and pipe relining. Products are ASTM E84, BS8414 and EN13501 compliant. Explore construction applications

  • Land transport — composite components for rail, commercial vehicles, battery electric vehicles and recreational vehicles, with fire-retardant options meeting the highest FST ratings. Explore transport applications

  • Industrial moulding & fabrication — tooling resins, structural laminates and bespoke component manufacture across a range of production methods

Why Choose Our Polyester Resins?

Scott Bader has been developing and manufacturing high-performance resins since 1921. That heritage backs every product in this range:

  • Exceptional product quality — 92% of customers rate our products as excellent or good, and our Crystic range is among the most established in the industry

  • Global technical support — our technical teams are available wherever and whenever you need them, from specification through to production

  • Compliance — products formulated to meet BS476, EN45545-2, UL1316, ASTM C581 and other relevant industry standards, supported by full datasheets via our Knowledge Hub

  • Global supply — manufacturing and distribution across Europe, the Americas, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific

  • Long-term partnership — employee-owned and independent, we're here for the long term and have no external shareholders driving short-term decisions