Adhesives and Sealants

Epoxy

Epoxy adhesives and sealants will bond to a variety of substrates. They can cure at either room temperature or be accelerated with higher temperatures. General-purpose epoxies have limited utility in long-term, high-temperature service.

Urethane

Urethane adhesives and sealants will also bond to a variety of substrates and offer a wide range of flexibility when cured. While their resistance to chemicals, fuels and oils is excellent, they provide only average bond strength to metal without the use of a primer.

Silicone

Silicone adhesives and sealants are often used for their combination of strength, durability and stress relief. Silicone adhesives and sealants from Dow Corning are uniquely stable at high temperatures while remaining flexible at low temperatures. They also offer excellent electrical properties and resistance to weathering.

Polyisobutylene (PIB)

Polyisobutylene (PIB) adhesives and sealants can bond to a variety of surfaces and also offer a wide range of flexibility when cured. They have good low temperature performance, but have relatively poor resistance to organic solvents, fuels, oils and chemicals.

Acrylic

Acrylic adhesives and sealants bond to a variety of (dry) substrates and are normally cured at room temperature or with heat. Acrylics are typically one of the lowest cost options, but have significant thermal and hydrolytic stability limitations. They are normally used in electronics as Pressure Sensitive Adhesives (PSAs).

Cyanoacrylate

Cyanoacrylates ("super glues" bond to a wide variety of surfaces to give a very fast and strong bond. They have limited thermal stability, are brittle, and can leave a white residue on nearby surfaces ("blooming"). Moisture stability of the adhesion to metal can be poor.