The world is changing. Resources once considered endless are becoming both limited and costly. For example, adhesives are produced using petroleum, energy and water. Recent adhesive cost increases of 10-25%, along with a decrease in the...

Adhesives are largely comprised of the kind of organic chemicals that have a reputation for flammability, yet they are used in many environments where they may be exposed to burning. By using the right adhesive formulations it is possible to not only... (1 Member Reaction) 

Adhesives that cure via ultraviolet (UV) or electron beam (EB) radiation have become popular in recent years due to their environmental characteristics as well as their effect on the corporation’s profitability. UV and EB processes contribute to the... (1 Member Reaction) 

Waterborne polyurethanes combine good adhesion characteristics with inherently low emissions of volatile organic compounds. Hybrid systems are increasingly being used, in which a number of reaction stages, including radical polymerisation, occur in... (3 Member Reactions) 

Packaging that provides a strong barrier to the passage of gases or moisture is vital for many products. Barrier films, generally manufactured by bonding different films together to form a laminate, are necessary for the packaging high-value...

Recent decades have seen a trend towards adhesive bonding in electronics, away from mechanical attachment. As the industrial segment today where perhaps the most desirable consumer items are offered, there is a need for attachment systems capable of...

Market Overview & Silicone Performances Although some common Western countries' trends, such as Health cost-containment policies, resources rationalization and increasing energy costs, have a tendency to slow down the medical industry's growth, all...  

Long before the end of a lengthy car trip, my young son would usually cry, "Daddy, are we there yet". I would usually respond with something like, "We will be there soon, please be patient". I am afraid this type of dialog also is often associated...  

In the 1960s, a Swedish scientist named Dahlquist3 observed a minimum level of compliance that a PSA must have in order for it to exhibit tack. This observation can also be interpreted as a maximum value of the modulus, the measure of the stiffness...  

It's no wonder that phenolic resins have been used for nearly a century in the adhesives industry. They are the oldest of the synthetic polymers being developed in 1872 and first achieving commercialization in 1908. Phenolic resins have and will... (1 Member Reaction) 

The LEED - Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design - standard is increasingly being adopted in the US building industry. It provides accreditation for environmentally sustainable buildings that deliver benefits from efficient use of resources and... (2 Member Reactions) 

The ability of an adhesive joint to withstand a sudden load is of interest in a wide variety of applications. The automotive and the electronics industries are just two of the major adhesive markets that place a high value on impact resistance. In...

Concerns about structural composites' long-term durability and reliability have seen them overlooked in aviation and transport applications. Yet they are lighter than the aluminium and other materials that find favour instead, so alleviating these... (1 Member Reaction) 

Solvents and diluents are used to lower the viscosity of epoxy resins systems to either permit easy compounding with other ingredients or to aid in application of the adhesive onto a substrate. Both solvents and diluents are low molecular weight... (1 Member Reaction) 

Pressure sensitive adhesives are unique in that they do not undergo any physical transformation or chemical reaction during their bonding processes. Instead, their properties are entirely controlled by their base polymer and the other components...

It is the duty of all responsible chemical companies to find ways to reduce their carbon footprint as much as possible. In many cases this is easier said than done, but when it comes to training staff there is a simple solution - online...

Growing concern over volatile organic compounds (VOC) and other emissions is motivating adhesive and sealant formulators to capture and recycle solvents, reduce solvent use, or switch to solvents with better environmental profiles. Although... (1 Member Reaction) 

To microelectronic engineers, BCB stands for benzocyclobutene, a polymeric material that combines bonding capability with appropriate electronic properties for chip manufacturing. Yet the reason that this base material - more accurately known as...

There are various generic families of sealant materials, and many methods are used to classify them. Properties and performance characteristics can vary considerably within each type. There are over 15 families of base polymers that are used,...

As the global financial crisis continues the domino effects are being weighed up all around the world, from large players in the chemical industry to small and medium sized companies. Nobody knows the extent to which developments may affect them, but...

While many people might assume that adhesive tape exists only in office use, for sealing parcels and performing do-it-yourself tasks, the largest application for tapes is sealing packaging cartons. Furthermore, carton manufacturing is one of the key...

Many formulation factors influence the performance properties of UV curing pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs). This article is meant to serve as a primer for formulating these useful adhesives that are found everywhere. There are several basic...

Teflon could rightly be called one of the chemicals of the 20th century, making good on DuPont's promise to deliver "Better Living Through Chemistry". The use of polytetrafluoroethylene's (PTFE) non-stick and chemical resistant properties have become...

A wide range of materials and formulations are available for preparing sealant products that meet a specific need. Most sealant formulations, however, are a compromise. That is, manufacturers formulate their products to meet a variety of...

Most scientists become familiar with reading and writing technical documents such as research papers and reports at an early stage in their careers. Not so with patents, where skill in reading tends to come later in a career and after direct...

Extrusion coating is a process of applying a molten thermoplastic material onto a substrate such as film, foil, paper, or fabric. The performance of the resulting structure depends significantly on the degree of adhesion achieved between the coating...

The term "Safe as houses" has come into the English language due to the comparative long-term stability of the housing market. This in turn has made construction one of the most lucrative industries around, and adhesive manufacturers have long sold...

As polyurethane adhesive chemists will attest, the reactivity of isocyanates simultaneously makes them both highly useful and highly toxic reagents. However, in today's safety conscious world the use of isocyanates is becoming more restricted. One...

Asphalt or bitumen materials have had wide application in the adhesives and sealants industry for many years. In fact, they were used as hot melt coatings for construction as early as 6000 B.C. because of their waterproofing properties. (Many believe...  

While in many circumstances strength and ease of application is the bottom line for adhesive manufacturers, in others it is more important that the appearance is right. In fact, fastening materials together in an attractive manner often drives...

The EU's REACH regulation has a clear message: meet the requirements or you will not be able to produce in, export to, or market within the EU. Is your company able to meet this challenge? The new European Union chemicals regulation came into force...

Maximizing coating line speed is an obvious approach to improving manufacturing economics for the adhesive converter. Adhesive coatings are often applied to continuous web material through the use of high-speed coating devices. However, optimal speed...

As we approach the end of the first decade of the 21st century, the flat screen TV is arguably the most obvious advance that has been made beyond 20th century technology. It's appropriate then that in this characteristically modern product, we find... (1 Member Reaction) 

Molecular sieves may be the original nanomaterial. They have been used for decades by adhesive and sealant formulators to modify compounds on a nano - or molecular level. They are primarily used as desiccants to scavenge water molecules that could...

The heroic tale of how humble superglue saved lives in Vietnam by providing a quick way to close wounds and stop bleeding is surprisingly widely told – and almost too good to believe1. Today various tissue adhesives, including superglue-style...

Natural formulations are a well known stalwart of the adhesive industry, with highly specified applications that include around 30 percent of the market for adhesives that do not use volatile solvents.1 Equally well known are the limits of natural...

Styrene butadiene block copolymers (SBCs) are useful base polymers for the formulation of sealants because of their unique combination of strength and elastomeric properties. Generally, SBC sealants can be formulated with movement capability between...

Amongst the many world-changing discoveries made thanks to the journey of Columbus to America, rubber is one of the more overlooked. However, starting from its introduction to Europe and the subsequent invention of the first rubber/solvent suspension...

Static electricity can be a major problem with certain adhesive products such as pressure sensitive coatings, laminating films, and other sheet or film products. Static electricity generally does not come from the adhesive coating but from a...

Most tests of adhesive strength examine linear or peel stress1, which induce cracking and drive adhesives to the point of failure. When cracks develop either adhesive or cohesive failure can result and over the years extensive mathematical...

Vinyl ester resins are thermosetting resins that consist of a styrene monomer and the addition products of epoxy resins and methacrylic acid. As a result, they are sometimes referred to as "epoxy vinyl esters". They are somewhere between epoxies and...

When I first learnt about adhesive formulation, one of the less technical rules-of-thumb that I was given compared my employer's processes with cake-baking. Polymer fluids were analogous to milk and water, solid fillers to flour, crosslinkers to egg...

In the electronics industry thermally-conductive adhesives serve the dual purposes of bonding materials together and transferring heat away from electronics components to printed wiring boards and heat sinks. By keeping the operating temperature of...

Hydrocolloid adhesives are unique in that they can act as an adhesive, and they are also capable of absorbing fluids without losing their adhesion. These are multiphase polymeric structures that consist of a continuous rubbery phase into which is...

Adhesives and sealants that are based on styrene butadiene block copolymers are both useful and unusual. They have the solubility and thermoplastic nature of polystyrene; while at ambient temperature, it has the toughness and resilience of an...

Silicones have a very particular set of properties that give them an important niche in the adhesive industry1. They are chemically resistant, water repellant, stable at temperatures up to 300°C, and physically strong. In comparison to epoxy-based...

Solar power remains a technology of the future, despite more than thirty years having been spent on its development.Throughout its lifetime, questions have been raised about how applicable adhesives are to the assembly of these advanced products, yet...

There are many ways to classify hot melt adhesives. One method is by their formulation capability. In this classification scheme hot melt adhesives are divided into two classes: 1. Those that depend on formulation with modifiers or additives for...

The endless variety and adaptability of polyurethane (PU) along with its continued contribution to our daily lives, makes its importance and hence demand to increase in comparison with other thermosetting polymer materials. Polyurethane plays a...

Although the general public may not realize it, they come into contact everyday with one of the most demanding applications for adhesives - books. Adhesives are used in the manufacture of books principally for the binding, but they are also used in...

As Lewis acids, organotin (IV) compounds have been a popular choice to perform the catalysis common to a number of adhesive polymerisation systems. Silicone and epoxy systems alike rely on the right pH to elicit their respective hydrolytic and...

Modern packaging materials make possible distribution, extended storage, and convenient sale of food products. The increasing use of adhesives in packaging has focused attention on the potential effect that these materials or their components might...

The shoe industry demands an impressive array of adhesives due to variations in materials, processes, types of footwear, and seasonal design changes. Equally impressive is the performance demands placed on adhesives in this industry. These include a...

Boat building was the first industry that started to use composites and to assemble it by bonding, starting in the fifties and sixties in USA. These composites were at that time only glass reinforced plastics, and the plastic matrixes were only based...

Water borne adhesives, derived from emulsion polymerization processes, are particularly susceptible to performance loss on exposure to high humidity conditions. The achievement of performance properties similar to solvent-based adhesive has for a...

Generally, discoloration is not a critically important criterion for adhesives since the bond line is often unseen and hidden within a joint design. However, in certain applications discoloration is very detrimental and a difficult challenge to...

Admixtures for mortar and concrete consist of chemicals, minerals (fly ash, slag, etc.), and particulates (principally organic fiber). These admixtures are generally added to mortar or concrete materials before or during mixing for the purpose of...

Polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) adhesives have become one of the most important adhesives in the woodworking industry. Commonly known as "white glue", this adhesive's many advantages include low cost, fast set, high dry bond strength, simplicity of...

Mortar and concrete made with Portland cement have been popular construction materials for housing and infrastructure for over 170 years. At first glance their longevity and popularity seems obvious. These materials consist of inexpensive powders...  

Polyisobutylene can be used as either a base polymer or as a modifier in a variety of adhesive or sealant formulations. Polyisobutylene is a synthetic hydrocarbon that is manufactured by polymerizing isobutylene. These resins have similar properties...

Heat-sealing adhesives are thermoplastic materials that can be coated onto substrate surfaces and later reactivated by heat and pressure. They differ from conventional hot melt adhesives that are applied in the molten state and cooled between...

A release liner is a critical element in a pressure sensitive adhesive product - perhaps as important as the adhesive itself. Pressure sensitive tapes, labels, and transfer films must be protected from accidental contact with other surfaces. They...

Searching for light pleasure reading? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration food contact safety regulations and the EU plastic directive don't qualify. A single example from one of the FDA's 21 CFR chapters illustrates why: "...polyester epoxy...

Emballage 2006 was again a major international exhibition for Packaging machines, techniques and materials. With 2200 exhibiting companies and more than 100 000 visitors it is considered as the largest packaging show in 2006, worldwide. Visitors came...

Hot melt adhesives are increasingly becoming popular because of their fast setting speed, relatively low cost (materials and processing), and low environmental impact. Hot melt adhesive systems also have broad formulation latitude so that a...

With so many products to choose from, making sure you select the proper sealant is especially important. Selecting the wrong industrial sealant, or applying the correct sealant in the wrong manner, can have serious consequences. Keep the eventual...

Epoxy resins are valuable to the adhesive formulator because they can create useful mixtures with many other polymers. Acrylate resins are only one of several families that are compatible with epoxy chemistry. Acrylate monomers are extremely...

Under constant pressure to improve manufacturing processes, manufacturers face the challenge of selecting from an array of sealing technologies. In addition to traditional adhesive tapes and liquid sealants, manufacturers can now choose among a new...

Two component (2K) polyurethanes have an established position as high performance adhesives, sealants, and coatings. However, 2K systems may be inappropriate for a given application because of metering and mixing equipment costs or because of...

During the last two decades, significant advances have been made in the development of biodegradable polymers. These materials have been developed in a variety of forms, and thus have potential uses in a range of industries. Many of these polymers...

It's a competitive time for specialty tape makers, with many companies jockeying for position as innovation and customer cost pressures usher in new opportunities. A company's specialty tapes have to be on the mark or competitors have the knowledge...

In previous chapters we have studied several types of adhesives for composites: epoxies, polyesters, structural acrylics... We are now studying other types available. Polyurethane chemistry is a very wide subject, PU enjoy a very versatile...

Innovative raw materials developed by Bayer MaterialScience AG make possible the formulation of thermoactivated adhesives for an extended range of applications - and they also join metal and plastic better than ever before thanks to a waterborne...

The completely cured adhesive or sealant is generally considered to be safe and non-toxic, although caution must be exerted when machining, grinding, etc. joints due to the proliferation of air-borne particles. Also, decomposition products may...

In this section, we will study several types of structural adhesives which are used for the assembly of composites: Acrylics, Polyesters, and others. These are also called "engineering acrylics" or "structural acrylics", in order to differentiate it...

In this section, we will study the adhesives which are used for bonding the most important composite materials: * thermosetting composites based on epoxy matrixes, the main market being those used for aircraft parts, * thermosetting...

An important and often overlooked function of polymeric adhesives is their ability to restore worn or damaged structures to their original integrity. Adhesive systems have long been utilized by the military for emergency repairs to aircraft, naval...

The ability of adhesives and sealants to bond to concrete surfaces has become a subject of renewed interest. This has been due to several reasons. The fields of adhesives and sealants have certainly experienced significant growth, and a significant...

Since the introduction of waterborne sealants in the 1960s, acrylic emulsion formulations have matured commercially as intermediate performance architectural sealants. Some of the earlier problems that had been associated with the earlier waterborne...

In this chapter, we will study the assembly and the adhesive bonding of 2 kinds of composites: 1. primary composite materials are those made of polymer matrixes reinforced with fibers such as glass, carbon or aramid fibers, 2. secondary composites...

Commonly known as "water-glass", soluble sodium silicates are colorless low cost inorganic materials. When used as adhesives, liquid silicates offer significantly low cost, versatility, and ease of handling. Their main use is to bond porous...

Adhesives formulators and product managers in the nonwovens industry are increasingly concerned by the cost and viability of their existing nonwoven adhesive formulations. The continued rising cost of petrochemicals and their derivatives, coupled...

Rubber-to-metal bonding is a term that is generally used to describe the process of establishing an adhesive bond between a metal substrate and an elastomer simultaneously with the cure of the elastomer itself. In other words, the elastomer molding...

Aluminum is an almost ideal substrate for adhesives. It has a high surface energy and is very resistant to most environments. It is also a material with good formability and high strength-to-weight ratio that can benefit greatly from properties...

All these techniques are used to decorate wood based panels or even wood ( such as cheap wood ) in order to obtain the aspect of true and expensive woods by using nice wood veneers or decorative films and laminates. In this technique, a high...

This report is a review of the pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) survey that was conducted by SpecialChem4Adhesives during April-May, 2005. The survey was targeted to global adhesive converters participating in the tape and label markets. This report...

Certain epoxy adhesives are capable of being "B-staged". A B-staged resin is one in which a limited reaction between the resin and hardener has taken place so that the product is in a semi-cured state. This partial reaction can occur either at room...

Silicone polymers display an exceptionally wide range of chemistries and physical properties. These polymers can be low viscosity liquids, crosslinkable elastomers, or hard solids. Adhesives and sealants represent only one major class of commercial...  

We start now to study Furniture adhesives and bonding techniques. The first step in Furniture manufacturing is to decorate panels by bonding a decorative veneer ( true wood veneer ) or film or other laminates to the base panels which may be: wood,...

Bitumens or asphaltic materials have been used as adhesives and sealants for many centuries. Modern formulations utilize both thermosetting and thermoplastic resins to improve their properties. These adhesives are generally supplied as...

Dihydrazides are represented by the active group: where R is can be any polyvalent organic radical, preferably one derived from a carboxylic acid. Carboxylic-acid esters are reacted with hydrazine hydrate in an alcohol solution using a catalyst and...

Polymers have been used as additives in cement mortars and concrete since the 1920s when natural rubber latex was added to road paving materials.1 Since then, there has been considerable development of polymer modification for cement and concrete....

Although the idea of environmentally conscious building is as old as architecture itself, people tend to associate the concept with a lifestyle radically different from the mainstream. Green building is, however, a growing trend and does not have to...

Non-uniform stresses within the adhesive joint can significantly reduce the maximum strength of the joint. Non-uniform stress distributions generally cannot be eliminated, but they can be reduced through proper joint design and selection of certain...

For many applications, such as flexible packaging, the use of a single material may not satisfy all of the properties demanded of the product. In these cases, a composite consisting of two or more layers of material may provide the desired...

In a recent article presented in SpecialChem4Adhesives the future evolution of pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) tapes was discussed.1 This current article is a companion piece on the winds of change that may affect the pressure sensitive label...

Today we will study bonds and products which require resistance to humidity and water, such as doors, windows, sandwich panels, exterior panels for wood houses, and also some products which are made in primary woodworking plants such as laminated...

It is important to monitor the winds of change that are occurring in the pressure sensitive adhesives area. For those who pay attention, this course of action offers new business opportunities, and those who pay no attention risk business...

The transportation market is one of the larger markets employing adhesive bonding. A subset of that market segment is the marine industry. Although adhesive bonding has been slower to develop in boating or shipbuilding than in aircraft or automotive...

Nonwoven fabrics are fibrous webs where the individual fibers are bonded together. The bonding process replaces the weaving that is used to manufacture traditional woven textiles. By virtue of the variety of materials and processing methods...

Some adhesive and sealant formulations may provide limited bond strength on certain substrates or poor durability in moist environments. Generally, attempts are made to overcome these problems through adhesive formulation and by substrate surface...

In this section, we will now study some bonding operations which are made in primary and secondary woodworking jobs. Secondary woodworking includes millwork ( I beams, doors and windows ), manufacture of decorative panels and sandwich panels. This...

Plastisols are liquid dispersions of a finely divided thermoplastic resin, generally polyvinyl chloride, in a plasticizer. These resulting pastes are highly viscous mixtures that on heating become homogenized so that a single solid phase results....

In certain applications, such as those that exist in the electrical and electronic industries, adhesive systems must have a certain degree of electrical and / or thermal conductivity. Electrical conductivity is, of course, important in adhesives that...

In this section we will now study a first series of applications and end uses: panels manufacturing and primary woodworking. Primary woodworking encompasses adhesives and binders for the production of various types of boards and panels: 1. softwood...

The use of waterborne adhesives, especially synthetic emulsions, has grown enormously in recent times. This has been driven primarily by the need to find alternatives for solvent based adhesives due to their adverse environmental consequences. Other...

Foaming is a problem that plagues many industries from food processing to adhesives. Waterborne adhesives are especially prone to the troubles and expensive consequences created by foaming. These experiences have increasingly worsened as converters...

These adhesives or glues have been developed a long time ago: urea-formaldehyde ( UF ) and phenolics (PF) started in the years 1920, melamine-formaldehyde ( MF ) and resorcinol-formaldehyde ( RF )a little bit later. However all are still in use, in...

Adhesives that cure quickly on exposure to light have achieved widespread acceptance in a number of industries where significant value is placed on high-speed manufacturing. In addition to their rapid cure, these adhesives are noted by their easy...

Nondestructive testing (NDT) is nothing new. Applications for the non-destructive evaluation of adhesive joints date back to the early 1970s. The first pioneers used ultrasonic and infrared methods to detect voids and loose bonds in poorly made...

Rheology is the science of deformation and flow of matter. The study of adhesion is often referred to as multidisciplined, and rheology is as important as any other discipline when studying adhesive systems. However, rheology is elusive for many...

For any bonding process, there are always some 8 steps that should be done: * surface preparation of the materials, * preparation of the adhesive or binder, for instance mixing if it is a 2 components adhesive, * application of the...

There has been an upward trend in the amount of plastics that are being used in industries such as automotive, sporting goods, medical, and electronic. This trend has been influenced by the drive to reduce weight and lower systems costs through...

Civil engineering works use only concrete, steel and road surfacing coatings ( asphalt or bitumen ). In Construction Sealants - Part I we have discussed the expansion coefficients and movements of concrete and steel in Buildings. In civil...

Weldbonding is a hybrid method of assembly that utilizes both the welding and adhesive bonding processes. Weldbonding is claimed to provide the advantages of both processes while minimizing the disadvantages. The benefits of instant strength and high...

Antioxidants are used in a variety of adhesive formulations to protect against degradation caused by reaction with atmospheric oxygen. Excessive oxidation generally results in undesirable changes in the adhesive's mechanical, aesthetic, or bonding...

Silicone adhesives fill small but important niches in the pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) market. They are generally selected for the most demanding industrial applications because of their inherent resistance to temperature extremes, moisture,...

In the previous parts we have studied the various types of adhesives which are used in Construction and their technical characteristics. In this section we will review the structural end uses, ie the uses where the mechanical strength exceeds 5 to...

Resins are low molecular weight amorphous polymers. Their main applications are in adhesives, inks, and chewing gum. In adhesives, resins are used to generate tack and specific adhesion. Mostly they are used together with larger polymers, which form...