Industrial Adhesives-A History of Industrial Adhesives

An industrial adhesive is defined as anything that isand have different uses. Rubber adhesives are usually
used in a fastening or bonding application in anybased on compounds such as nitrile or butyl and they
manufacturing industry. There are several differentalso offer a strong yet highly flexible bond between
types of adhesive that are used regularly - epoxies,surfaces. Epoxy adhesives are known for their ability
hot melt, sealants, acrylics, thermostat and siliconto resist chemical and environmental damage, as well
adhesives. And something many of us are familiar withas their general versatility in many areas.
- cement and mortar are also considered to beAnaerobic adhesives can be used effectively in an
industrial adhesives.environment with no oxygen and are widely used in
Different industrial adhesive types have differentmany industries - military, aerospace and marine. Some
properties or features and can be used effectively foranaerobic adhesives are designed to be used in a high
different purposes. Some adhesives have particularlyvoltage setting, or with electronic devices or
good bonding qualities - for example, hot meltsemiconductors.
adhesives which can be repeatedly softened andSilicon based adhesives are known for their flexibility
hardened by alternate heating and cooling.and also have a high resistance to heat - up to 600
Also particularly versatile are so-calleddegrees Fahrenheit. Polyurethane sealants and
pressure-sensitive adhesives, which - as the nameadhesives are available in one or two part adhesive
suggests - need only very slight pressure to adhere tosystems and are known for their all-round durability
most surfaces. Pressure sensitive adhesives areand their high levels of impact resistance.
available in water, solvent and latex based forms.Some industrial adhesives are designed to provide an
UV curing adhesives will give a strong and permanentelectrical path or connection between components.
bond without the use of heat, as they use ultra-violetThese adhesives help to prevent problems such as
light, or other sources of radiation. One thing toradio frequency interference and electrostatic
consider is the bonding time - some UV curingdischarge. These adhesives are routinely used in the
adhesives bond instantly, while others require a longermanufacture of circuit boards, transformers and
time.generators.
Some industrial adhesives are defined by theirToday, the development of industrial adhesives with
chemical make-up - acrylic, silicone, rubber andnew - and more effective - properties is continuing
polyurethanes, for example. Acrylic adhesives have aconstantly. Engineers and scientists explore ways to
faster setting time than most other resins, and alsoenhance several different factors such as flexibility,
offer excellent resistance to the elements.toughness, setting time, temperature and chemical
Polyurethanes offer durability, flexibility and highresistance to make industrial adhesives as effective
resistance to impact.as they can be.
Rubber sealants and adhesives are widely available