1.1.13 Chemical Joint: Adhesives

The term adhesive covers a large and varied group of materials with an enormous range of properties and potential applications. There are so many types of adhesives available that the task of selecting one can be bewildering. While an undemanding application may do well with any number of bonding agents, other applications require special characteristics only found in a selective few adhesives. Understanding the requirements of the application will go a long way towards zeroing in on a good adhesive choice. We’ll start by discussing some basic classifications of adhesives.

1.1.13.1 Basic Classification

The broadest classification scheme categorises an adhesive as organic or synthetic. This manual focuses on synthetic adhesives, which are the most commonly used adhesives today by far. Modern adhesives systems that are used in demanding structural applications are made from synthetic polymers.

Adhesives may be classified by chemistry, common uses, means of turning from a liquid to a solid (which not all adhesives do), ease of use, method of application, speed of cure – in fact, there are so many characteristics that a diagram of these classifications would be a complex tangle of overlaps and contradictions. For the purposes of this text, we focus on function, chemical composition and type of reaction.

Table of contents

Already have an account? Sign in

+33,000
professionals

have already
signed up

Award winning manual

Platinum Award for LOCTITE®X Digital Manual

The Digital Manual is for professionals by professionals

The manual is made entirely for you. However, if you’re still not convinced that free industry knowledge is for you, take a look at these user testimonials from the users of the manual.

"The topics are such that I can help take design related decisions very well at work. It's an interesting and knowledgeable read, I recommended my other colleagues to have a look at the manual as well."

Hanumant, Production Incharge

"The manual's chapters significantly enhanced my comprehension of various engineering topics. The manual adeptly presents explanations and examples of concepts, showcasing a high level of clarity and effectiveness in its content."

Tejas, Mechanical Engineer from a renowned Engineering College

"The release of this manual by a renowned brand such as Loctite has proven to be highly motivating for students. Its authentic content serves as a source of inspiration, encouraging students to engage actively in reading and learning."

Padmakar Deshmukh, Professor at an Engineering College