Adhesives are liquid or paste products used for bonding together two surfaces. They are used for assembling parts in different industries, such as automotive, electronic, packaging, aeronautics, textile, construction, and more. Structural adhesives are engineered to create bonds that can support loads. They are formulated to improve manufacturing processes and final products for various composite, plastic, and metal assemblies.
Picking an Industrial and Structural Adhesive
When choosing an adhesive, think about its compatibility with the materials you must put together. It is also important to think about the surrounding conditions like the ambient temperature, UV exposure, moisture content, and exposure to chemicals that could impact the quality of bonding.
Moreover, ensure the adhesive is compatible with the stress you will put it under such as shock, vibration, permanent load, bending, and more. The working time must also be considered. Generally, two-component adhesives have shorter working time and shorter final setting time than their single-component counterparts. Finally, ensure the adhesive you choose complies with the standards the assembly is subject to.
Kinds of Adhesives
The following are the most popular types of industrial and structural adhesives:
- Epoxy. This is one of the high-strength industrial adhesives you can find on the market. It provides high mechanical strength in terms of peeling, shear, and impact. It comes in a single- or two-component format. It is classified into rigid, soft or flexible, and strong adhesives. Rigid adhesives are used with rigid substrates and high static charges. Soft adhesives provide a good impact as well as resistance to peel and temperatures. Lastly, strong adhesives combine the qualities of rigid and soft adhesives.
- Acrylic. These adhesives are primarily used to bond different materials like plastic, wood, metal, and glass. They provide good mechanical resistance; however, they not as good as epoxy adhesives. But, they are generally more affordable than epoxy. Although the setting time of single-component acrylic adhesives can take around five to thirty minutes, heating can speed it up.
- Polyurethane or urethane. Polyurethane adhesives are used in the construction industry, especially for bonding insulation panels. These flexible adhesives provide limited mechanical strength compared to epoxy. Meanwhile, urethane adhesives are used for bonding or repairing rubber-based materials like diving suits.
- Cyanoacrylate. These adhesives are mainly designed for quick bonding and provide good shear strength. They can set instantly at room temperature. Current variants of these adhesives come in gel form with medium to high viscosity. They are used for bonding metal, cardboard, ceramic, fiberglass, plastic, and rubber components.
- These adhesives offer high resistance to dynamic stress and good sealing. Also, they are resistant to solvents, high temperatures, and UV.
