Section Six Adhesive Technologies

As mentioned previously, joining materials with adhesives offers significant benefits over traditional methods. Despite the benefits of adhesive joining, choosing the right adhesive for a particular application can still be challenging due to the vast variety of adhesives available in the market. This section provides a summary of the different chemistries, adhesive families, physical and chemical properties, advantages, considerations and common applications, as well as the most important elements for ideal adhesive selection as they relate to the respective chemistry. If in doubt about any application, an adhesive expert should be consulted.

6.1 Definition of an Adhesive

It is important to first clarify and understand the following key terminology and concepts. Doing so will help in understanding different adhesive types and their properties.

Adhesive: An adhesive is any substance that, when applied to the surfaces of the materials (substrate), bonds the surfaces together and resists separation. Adjectives may be used in conjunction with the word ‘adhesive’ to describe properties based on the substance’s physical or chemical form, i.e. ‘flexible’ adhesive or ‘hybrid’ adhesive.

According to DIN EN 923, an adhesive is defined as a non-metallic binder that acts via adhesion and cohesion. ASTM D907-06 defines an adhesive as ‘a substance capable of holding materials together by surface attachment’.

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