Learn-it: Adhesives Which adhesive should I use? Pro Tips Fabric, Wood/ Fiberglass Poly- Ceramic/ Metal Rubber PVC* Glass Plastic* Paper, Canvas Plaster Concrete* Check the label before you do anything Plywood (FRP) carbonate Brick “I want to adhere two different to make sure it works on your materials in your environment - each Leather adhesive has different variations. materials!” Epoxy Epoxy Epoxy Epoxy Epoxy Epoxy Epoxy Epoxy Epoxy Epoxy Epoxy Epoxy Epoxy Do you need to use an adhesive? Acrylic Acrylic Acrylic Acrylic Acrylic Acrylic Acrylic Acrylic Acrylic Acrylic Acrylic Acrylic Acrylic Answer: Find the adhesive that is compatible Would a mechanical fastener like a nail or bolt work better? Urethane Urethane Urethane Urethane Urethane Urethane Urethane Urethane Urethane Urethane Urethane Urethane Urethane with both of them Work quickly. Polyurethane Polyurethane Polyurethane Polyurethane Polyurethane Polyurethane Polyurethane Polyurethane Polyurethane Polyurethane Polyurethane Polyurethane Polyurethane Have all your pieces ready to be adhered before you open the Example: I want to adhere wood to fabric – polyurethane, adhesive package/bottle. REACTIVE Cyanoacrylate Cyanoacrylate Cyanoacrylate Cyanoacrylate Cyanoacrylate Cyanoacrylate Cyanoacrylate Cyanoacrylate Cyanoacrylate Cyanoacrylate Cyanoacrylate Cyanoacrylate Cyanoacrylate cyanoacrylate, PVA, contact adhesive, and construction Silicone Silicone Silicone Silicone Silicone Silicone Silicone Silicone Silicone Silicone Silicone Silicone Silicone adhesive adhere to wood and fabric. I choose one of these Clean all surfaces depending on my needs. before you adhere them to ensure the strongest bond. PVA PVA PVA PVA PVA PVA PVA PVA PVA PVA PVA PVA PVA Sand metal Contact Contact Contact Contact Contact Contact Contact Contact Contact Contact Contact Contact Contact and then wipe it clean! Microscopic rust will weaken the bond. - Want more specific Adhesive Adhesive Adhesive Adhesive Adhesive Adhesive Adhesive Adhesive Adhesive Adhesive Adhesive Adhesive Adhesive advice? Use in well-ventilated areas. Hot glue Hot glue Hot glue Hot glue Hot glue Hot glue Hot glue Hot glue Hot glue Hot glue Hot glue Hot glue Hot glue Don’t ever inhale adhesive fumes. NON Visit This-To-That REACTIVE Construction Construction Construction Construction Construction Construction Construction Construction Construction Construction Construction Construction Construction Does your adhesive need to be clamped? adhesive adhesive adhesive adhesive adhesive adhesive adhesive adhesive adhesive adhesive adhesive adhesive adhesive The industry evaluates adhesives based on two things: * PVC is best adhered * Most plastic * Concrete itself can to itself with a adhesives only work act as its adhesive shear strength and peel strength solvent-based with particular adhesive that plastics. Confirm that chemically “melts” the adhesive will work Reactive adhesives the PVC together. with your plastic. Non-reactive adhesives bond through a chemical reaction – often used structurally bond through a physical change – often used non-structurally Epoxy Acrylic Silicone Urethane Cyanoacrylate PVA Construction Hot glue Contact (Super glue) polyvinyl acetate adhesive Two-part curing Two-part curing Cures with water on the piece Two-part curing (wood glue and white glue) adhesive Cools to cure or humidity in the air Cures with water on the piece or Strongest structural adhesive High-strength bonding Highly elastic bond Cures by the evaporation of its humidity in the air Cures by the evaporation of its Cures by the evaporation of its Works on most materials, (vs. urethane and acrylic) – high Use when flexibility between solvent without the surface Used as a sealant – only has For the best adhesion, dab the pieces to be solvent solvent especially porous surfaces shear and peel strength preparation (vs. urethane and dissimilar materials glued with a damp cloth before adding the enough adhesive capabilities acrylic) super glue Highest temperature resistance Used on porous materials Begin to harden quickly and to hold onto the two pieces The reaction is exothermic (it releases heat as it remain flexible when dry Hardens in 5 – 30 min (vs. urethane and acrylic) Bonds to a wide variety of Hardens in 2 – 120 minutes Wood, paper, cloth are best which it is sealing between Gains full strength in 6 hours to 7 days reacts), so be careful when gluing fabrics such Hardens in 15 – 60 sec Gains full strength in 24 hours materials as cotton/wool because they could catch fire Gains full strength in 24 hours Even hard-to-bond plastics and No need to clamp No need to clamp Impact resistant and durable Not actually used structurally due to Hardens in 10 – 30 min No need to clamp Hardens between 2 – 60 min oily metals Hardens in 5 – 10 min Parts harden together instantly Gains full strength in 24 hours Hardens in 20 – 40 min Use for energy absorption its brittleness (low shear strength) Gains full strength in 24 hours Gains full strength in 12 – 24 hours No or low volatile organic Gains full strength in 24 – 72 hours Lower cost (vs. epoxy and acrylic) Apply on both surfaces to Do NOT clamp (~2mm thickness with moisture in air) Use for small repairs that are not Clamp your pieces together No need to clamp compounds (VOCs – harsh clamping may actually weaken the bond Hardens within 3-20 min Common brands: Devcon, Loctite, be joined, air dry, and bring subject to much stress or chemicals for the environment) together; stick instantly Gains full strength in 8 to 48 hrs No need to clamp 3M Scotch-Weld Most other adhesives do not adhere to A thick mixture of natural or Cures under a wide range of movement synthetic rubber dispersed in a and permanently. Made of a PVA after it is cured Good for filling spaces temperature and humidity No need to clamp Excellent resistance to Use where the fit must be tight solvent or water; the mixture synthetic (vs. all other adhesives) temperature extremes, weather, Capillary action can draw in the glue into where varies depending on the between surfaces rubber (usually neoprene) dispers there is little space for a thicker glue Common brands/names: carpenter's glue, Tolerates moisture water, chemicals application ed in a solvent or water. Excellent resistance to solvents, salt yellow glue (aliphatic resin), school Provide rigid-to-flexible low- and dirty, unprepared surfaces e.g. Liquid Nails Heavy duty construction glue, Elmer's glue, Titebond III water, UV light, impact Good for filling and sealing spaces adhesive: mixture of acrylic adhesive, strength bonds. Adheres nicely to large surfaces Good for filling spaces between such as plastic/wood laminate Hardens in 5 – 30 seconds PVA, limestone, clay Good for filling spaces between surfaces Stays very stretchy in most e.g. Liquid Nails Polyurethane They melt when heated and surfaces conditions Polyurethane Gains full strength in 2 hours construction adhesive: mixture of solidify when cooled Common brands: 3M Scotch-Weld, polyurethane, limestone, quartz Common brands: Loctite, Devcon, JB Loctite, Lord Good for vertical and overhead Common superglues may soak into the Cures with water on the piece Require special Weld, Titebond , 3M Scotch-Weld applications because surfaces Excellent for filling spaces they don't run or humidity in the air …especially with wood – leaving little glue on between surfaces dispensing equipment because the surface, reducing the strength of the bond they come in rods Speed up the curing process by Swells as it cures Common brands: Liquid Nails Strongest when in a very thin layer and elevating the temperature Common brands: Stanley, 3M clamped Common brands: Loctite, 3M, Permatex, Dow Corning Hardens in 20-30 minutes Best on low-porosity materials Gains full strength in 6 hours Not recommended to use on glass Main types of reactive adhesives Apply in a thin layer and clamp Superglue can be used as a temporary Main types of non-reactive adhesives clamp while stronger glue hardens by Good moisture-resistance Emulsion adhesive: adhesive + evaporative solvent solvent evaporates and leaves the adhesive Reactive two-part adhesives: base resin + hardener/curing agent plastic or rubber adding a small amount to the ends of It transforms into a thermoset polymer via a cross-linking process. Sandable and paintable the pieces being joined. behind The reaction requires mixing. The adhesive is dissolved in solvent (water, other chemicals), so as the solvent evaporates it leaves the adhesive behind. Added to baking soda, acts as a hard, Reactive one-part adhesive: needs UV light, heat, or moisture Works on most porous and non- porous surfaces lightweight filler adhesive Hot melt: the adhesive is melted and applied The one-part adhesive is a pre-mixed two-part adhesive, but the reaction needs UV light, heat, or moisture to begin These are generally less common. Common brands: Gorilla Glue, Titebond Common brands: Loc-Tite, Permabond, Eastman, Krazy glue These materials are provided under the Attribution-Non-Commercial 3.0 Creative Commons License, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/. If you choose to reuse or repost the materials, you must give proper attribution to MIT, and you must include a copy of the non-commercial Creative Commons license, or a reasonable link to its url with every copy of the MIT materials or the derivative work you create from it. D-Lab Please use the following citation format: D-Lab Learn-It: Adhesives Copyright © Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Accessed on [insert date]). This project was made possible by a grant from the MIT Alumni Class Funds..