Selection of the Right Adhesives
Adhesives or sometimes glue is a substance in liquid or semi-liquid forms used to bond different items together.
Adhesives are used for: -Joining two different metals of variable thickness, -Joining metals which are thin or weak and other methods are not applicable to them.
-Giving smooth joint without the use of screws or other tools.
-Joining metals having odd shapes and figures.
Adhesives are useful for strong joints.
But for strong bond it is essential that both the surfaces are clean and free of oily and greasy substances.
Contact Adhesives Where strong bond is required contact adhesives are not recommended.
However, for normal use they are handy.
Apply adhesive on the surfaces and wait for sometime.
Then join both the surfaces and hold them tightly for some time.
Cyanoacrylate Adhesives These adhesives are Cyanoacrylate esters based and are known for strong bonds.
These adhesives are very easy to use and serve the purpose well.
Put a small amount of these adhesives on the surface and join the other surface with it.
Hold it for 10 seconds and you have a strong bond.
These work by coming in reaction with a thin film of water on most surfaces.
Too much glue or too much water will result in a weak bond at joints.
No clamps are required to hold the two surfaces together.
They are good at providing quick joints.
It is important to use these adhesives with ample care.
Any contact with human skin will make a strong bond.
So, it is advisable to avoid any contact with hands, especially your eyes.
If possible use polythene gloves or goggles to prevent any contact with adhesives.
Rubber gloves are not suitable for these kinds of adhesives.
It is for this reason; keep those adhesives at places where children cannot reach them.
In case you get this Cyanoacrylate on your skin, immediately put your hands into the warm soapy water and keep them there till it soften.
Scrub it off the skins with the help of teaspoon handle.
Epoxy resins These are also common in the market and are used widely.
They are also powerful adhesives but they need more time to set, about 24 hours.
These adhesives come in two parts a hardener and a resin.
Both are mixed shortly before they are applied.
Strong bond results due to the chemical reaction between resin and hardener that produces heat.
Warming the joint can reduce the setting time.
Epoxy resins are not useful for flexible joints, as they inclined to be brittle after setting.
Two-part acrylic adhesives are also there which are used for heat resistant metal joints.
But these are not as effective as epoxy resins which have a strong gap filling properties.
Apply one part on one surface and second part on second surface and hold the two surfaces joined together for 2-3 minutes.
In this time the adhesive will set in position.
Although the joint will become strong in few minutes but for full strength it will take up to 24 hours.
Adhesives are used for: -Joining two different metals of variable thickness, -Joining metals which are thin or weak and other methods are not applicable to them.
-Giving smooth joint without the use of screws or other tools.
-Joining metals having odd shapes and figures.
Adhesives are useful for strong joints.
But for strong bond it is essential that both the surfaces are clean and free of oily and greasy substances.
Contact Adhesives Where strong bond is required contact adhesives are not recommended.
However, for normal use they are handy.
Apply adhesive on the surfaces and wait for sometime.
Then join both the surfaces and hold them tightly for some time.
Cyanoacrylate Adhesives These adhesives are Cyanoacrylate esters based and are known for strong bonds.
These adhesives are very easy to use and serve the purpose well.
Put a small amount of these adhesives on the surface and join the other surface with it.
Hold it for 10 seconds and you have a strong bond.
These work by coming in reaction with a thin film of water on most surfaces.
Too much glue or too much water will result in a weak bond at joints.
No clamps are required to hold the two surfaces together.
They are good at providing quick joints.
It is important to use these adhesives with ample care.
Any contact with human skin will make a strong bond.
So, it is advisable to avoid any contact with hands, especially your eyes.
If possible use polythene gloves or goggles to prevent any contact with adhesives.
Rubber gloves are not suitable for these kinds of adhesives.
It is for this reason; keep those adhesives at places where children cannot reach them.
In case you get this Cyanoacrylate on your skin, immediately put your hands into the warm soapy water and keep them there till it soften.
Scrub it off the skins with the help of teaspoon handle.
Epoxy resins These are also common in the market and are used widely.
They are also powerful adhesives but they need more time to set, about 24 hours.
These adhesives come in two parts a hardener and a resin.
Both are mixed shortly before they are applied.
Strong bond results due to the chemical reaction between resin and hardener that produces heat.
Warming the joint can reduce the setting time.
Epoxy resins are not useful for flexible joints, as they inclined to be brittle after setting.
Two-part acrylic adhesives are also there which are used for heat resistant metal joints.
But these are not as effective as epoxy resins which have a strong gap filling properties.
Apply one part on one surface and second part on second surface and hold the two surfaces joined together for 2-3 minutes.
In this time the adhesive will set in position.
Although the joint will become strong in few minutes but for full strength it will take up to 24 hours.
Source...