Adhesives and Sealants

This article begins with an overview of the fundamentals of adhesive technology, including functions, limitations, adhesive joint types, and the key factors in the selection of adhesives, including application, type of joint, process limitation, mechanical requirement, and service conditions. It then focuses on the characteristics, types, and properties of the five groups of adhesives, such as structural, hot melt, pressure sensitive, water based, ultraviolet, and electron beam cured adhesives. The article also discusses the functions and applications of adhesive modifiers, including fillers, adhesion promoters, tackifiers, and tougheners. It gives a short note on functions of primers and primerless bonding. Applications of adhesives in automotive, aerospace, electronics, electrical, medical, sports, and construction sectors are also described. Finally, the article describes the steps in adhesive bonding, including storage and handling of adhesives, bonding preparation, adhesive application, tooling, and curing.