Patent ID: 7118699

Claim:
A closed mold method of making a composite having a barrier layer, the method comprising: providing a mold; applying and curing a layer of gel coat on an inside surface of the mold; applying end curing a layer of barrier composition over the cured gel coat, the barrier composition comprising: about 10 to about 50 wt % vinyl ester resin; about 15 to about 60 wt % polyester resin; 0 to about 30 wt % monomer; about 1 to about 15 wt % thickening agent; about 0.1 to about 5 wt % accelerators; about 1 to about 25 wt % filler; and a catalyst; applying a layer of fiberglass reinforcement over the cured barrier composition; applying resin to the fiberglass reinforcement; closing the mold; curing the resin; and opening the mold and removing the composite, wherein the composite has an improved surface finish compared to a composite made with a closed mold process without the barrier composition.