PurposeTo reduce the cost of epoxy adhesive without affecting the properties of epoxy adhesive in two pack system.Design/methodology/approachFor effective toughening, adhesion, chemical resistance, etc. various compositions were made by incorporating flow modified solid epoxy resin. The impact, adhesive strengths and some other properties of the unmodified and modified epoxy networks were characterised.FindingsThe modification of epoxy resin using flow modified solid epoxy resin showed significant enhancement of impact and adhesive strengths and chemical resistance over the unmodified one. The optimum results were obtained at 13.66 parts per hundred parts of epoxy resin (phr) of modifier by replacing 4.33 phr of aerosil.Research limitations/implicationsThe modifier, 7004 FM, used in the present context was high molecular weight flow modified epoxy resin. Besides, these results could be obtained from other grades of flow modified high molecular weight epoxy resin. In addition, the efficiency of modification of epoxy resin using this could also be studied.Practical implicationsThe method developed provided a simple and practical solution to removing the costly aerosil without affecting properties such as toughness, adhesive strength and chemical resistance of the cured epoxy.Originality/valueThe method for enhancing toughness, adhesive strength and chemical resistance of cured epoxy was novel and could find numerous applications in surface coating and adhesive.