Glues
Glues
EXPERT KNOWLEDGE GLUES
Here you will find information on Superglues, epoxy adhesives, Construction adhesives and Leather adhesives. These glues have special properties that make them particularly suitable for certain tasks:
Superglues - Fast, strong and versatile
Superglues, also known as cyanoacrylate adhesives, are the best known and most commonly used adhesives. As the name suggests, this glue hardens within seconds and creates a quick bond between the joined surfaces. Superglues are used for a variety of uses, including in the home, electronics, jewellery making and even medicine. The viscosity of Superglues is usually around 20 to 150 mPas, making it a low viscosity glue that can penetrate well into small gaps and crevices. Glues with a low viscosity can penetrate gaps of only a few mm, but allow for better dispensing.
Properties of Superglues:
- Fast curing: one of the biggest advantages of Superglues is its very fast drying time. Glues are usually fully cured within 10 to 30 seconds. This fast reaction is particularly useful when bonding complex parts that cannot be mechanically clamped or can only be clamped with great effort.
- Strong adhesion: Glues form a very strong bond with high ultimate strength, holding together many materials including plastic, metal, glass, ceramic and rubber.
- Transparent: Superglues usually dry clear
Disadvantages and limitations:
- Sensitivity to humidity and temperature: Superglues can lose bond strength under extreme conditions, such as high humidity or very high or very low temperatures.
- Visible residues and fingerprints: Fast drying can leave residue or unsightly stains on surfaces if Glues are applied improperly.
- Limited flexibility: This type of adhesive offers little flexibility and is not suitable for uses involving movement or constant stress.
Tip: An activator for Superglues speeds up the curing process and is used for highly absorbent and porous surfaces, low humidity and temperature or thick layers of adhesive to ensure fast and effective adhesion.
Epoxy adhesive - two-component system with strong bond
Epoxy glue is a two-component adhesive consisting of a resin and a hardness. These two components are only mixed together shortly before Use, which activates the Glues. Curing does not take place through evaporation, but through a chemical reaction between the resin and the Hardness, which creates a very strong and permanent bond.
Properties of epoxy adhesive:
- Excellent strength: epoxy adhesive is characterised by exceptionally strong adhesion, effectively bonding materials such as metal, wood, plastic, stone and glass.
- High resistance: Once cured, epoxy adhesive is resistant to water, chemicals and high temperatures. These properties make it ideal for use in more demanding environments, for example in construction (liquid anchors).
- Lengthy curing time: Compared to Superglues, epoxy adhesive has a longer working time, which allows it to bond larger or more complex surfaces. This is advantageous when precise positioning is required.
Whilst epoxy glue usually has a longer curing time compared to other glues, there are also special variants that allow faster curing to speed up processing without compromising strength.
Ber-Fix epoxy adhesive is available with an open assembly time of 5 and 30 minutes. Bonds metals, wood, glass, hard plastics, porcelain, ivory and precious stones, among others.
Disadvantages and limitations:
- Two-component system: the need to mix resin and Hardness before Use can make the process a little more laborious. Systems with mixing nozzles and tips for dispensing simplify processing considerably.
- Insensitive to moisture: Even though epoxy adhesive is water-resistant, it can lose strength over time if exposed to moisture permanently.
Areas of application: As an industrial adhesive, epoxy adhesive is often used in the automotive industry, in mechanical engineering and in shipbuilding. It is particularly useful for repairing metal parts, bonding wood or plastic and joining components in demanding environments. Glues are also used in knife making or in the production of jewellery or sculptures.
Construction adhesives - Strong adhesives for construction sites and DIY enthusiasts
Construction adhesives are a versatile type of adhesive that has been specially developed for use in the construction industry. This adhesive is characterised by its ability to bond large surfaces quickly and effectively. It is often referred to as an all-purpose adhesive or assembly adhesive as it holds a wide range of materials together.
Properties of Construction adhesives:
- High load-bearing capacity: Construction adhesives provide a strong bond that is suitable for heavier materials, such as wood, stone, concrete, metal, and more.
- Easy to Use: Glues are usually offered in cartridges that can be easily applied to the surfaces to be bonded using a special gun.
- Versatility: Construction adhesives can be used on a variety of surfaces, making it a practical solution for DIY enthusiasts and construction professionals.
Disadvantages and limitations:
- Lengthy Drying Time: Drying time of Construction adhesives can vary depending on the product, generally longer than epoxy adhesives.
- Limited flexibility: Some construction adhesives are not flexible and can become brittle when the bonded materials move.
Areas of application: A Construction adhesives is particularly suitable for interior work, bonding carpets, attaching panels, fixing skirting boards and joining wall and floor coverings. It is also frequently used for renovation work and in furniture construction.
Recommendation: Titebond GREENchoice Construction adhesives with environmentally friendly composition for high bonding forces indoors and outdoors. Ideal for wood, metal, plastics, foams and ceramics.
Advantages:
- Non-flammable
- Adheres to wet and frozen surfaces
- Waterproof
- Permanently flexible
- Resistant to frost and dew
- Garde harmful solvents
- Moist adhesive residue can be wiped off with water
- Cartridge and cardboard are made from recycled materials
Leather adhesives - Special adhesive for processing Leather
Leather adhesives have been specially developed to bond leather and synthetic leather to each other or to other plastics. Leather is a particularly demanding material as it is both flexible and porous, therefore it requires special adhesives that are adapted to these unique properties of the material.
Properties of Leather adhesives:
- Flexible bond: Leather adhesives provide a flexible bond with strong holding power that goes along with the natural flexibility of Leather.
- Durable bond: Once dry, the Glues will hold without loosening, even under stress and constant movement.
Disadvantages and limitations:
- Not suitable for all materials: Leather adhesives are specifically designed for leather and can only be used to a limited extent on other materials such as wood.
Areas of application: Leather adhesives are often used in the production of leather sheaths, wallets, belts and other leather accessories as it provides a flexible, strong bond that matches the natural properties of the leather and creates a long-lasting, resistant bond.
Glues for paper - especially shoji paper
Starch-based liquid glue is particularly suitable for delicate materials such as shoji paper, as it provides a gentle but strong adhesion without damaging the paper. The glue stick, e.g. from UHU, on the other hand, is ideal for general craft work on paper and cardboard, but should not be used for delicate materials such as shoji paper.
Old glues lose their adhesive power over time and often become brittle - once they have lost their effectiveness, they should be disposed of properly.
We have a wide range of adhesives to suit the exact requirements of your project - from fast-setting superglues to strong epoxy and construction adhesives for demanding uses.
