Glue For Glass

Glue For Glass

As the economy in Ireland, changes for the better, the interest in glues, sealants and mastic products for glass, increases. But what is the best glue & the best sealant mastic to use with glass? A question our technologists are asked on a weekly basis. Read on and all will be revealed.

Glass may be considered to be a problematic material to stick to, particularly if the glued parts are exposed to either humid or wet conditions. However, if you seek the right advice, we will specify the correct product, most suitable for all of your glass sealing or gluing applications.

Before gluing or sealing glass, it must be thoroughly degreased and dried, before any glue or sealant is applied. A primer is suggested with the majority of products used to glue and seal glass, but more about these later.

Whenever glass is being glued or sealed, consideration must be given to the visibility of  glue. Typically, both glues and sealants for use with glass, are clear and normally have a requirement to remain clear throughout their service life.

Priming the glass before applying the glue or sealant, is in most cases, strongly suggested. We manufacture a range of primers, two of which two have shown exceptional adhesion to glass. The first is X250 primer. This product is typically used on all gluing application which are non structural (i.e., the glued parts do not have to hold any weight). X250 is the choice product for use with our Hi-Bond® VST tapes, epoxy resins and superglue products. Also of potential use is our X330 primer. X330 is our latest development in primer technology. This is a titanium based primer which is used in most structural (load bearing) applications. Both X250 & X330 are applied by brush or spray, and both dry in seconds.

Depending on the application, and if the glued parts will be exposed to water or not, there are several adhesive families of glues & sealants which are suitable for gluing & sealing glass.

1. Superglue. These glues are really only suitable for gluing small parts which will not be exposed to humidity. X250 primer suggested.

2. Epoxy Resin. We have several epoxy resins which will stick to glass. These glues are typically coloured and much like superglue, only used for gluing small parts, however, unlike superglue, the glued parts can be exposed to humidity. X250 primer suggested.

3. Polyurethane Glue. Our water clear polyurethanes are used in some niche gluing applications, such as optical glass mounting and fibre optic terminal bonding.

4. UV Cure. For structural applications, a UV cure glue is the best choice. We manufacture a range of 8 UV cure adhesives for glass bonding. Our UV glues are typically used in many applications, from glass bevelling, furniture manufacture, and glass partition construction to several niche applications such as gluing steel mounting studs to glass  & several applications within the communications, medical and aerospace field.

It is important to note that UV cure glue will cure in under 10 seconds, under UV light at 365 nm (minimum).Gluing at lower energy levels as well as the distance between the lamp and the glass and the thickness of the overall glue film, will influence the final strength of the joint. Specific advice from out Technical Service Chemists should be sought.

5. Structural Tape. We offer a range of structural tapes from the Hi-Bond® VST tape range. These tapes are manufactured in colours white, grey and clear. Primarily used to bond coloured glass, we currently supply many fit-out companies with them. Priming is not generally required, however, for many automotive applications, the use of X250 primer is suggested.

6. A recently developed product and a new addition to our portfolio is U69. This is a Hybrid polymer which is highly elastic and durable. It is suitable for gluing glass partitions, gluing display cases and gluing door handles. Bonding & sealing display case channels & window display cabinets, Sealing door frame channels & head channels. An excellent water clear polymer. Priming is not generally required.

 All of our adhesive solutions for both gluing and sealing glass, have been optimised to allow for ease of use, excellent strength build-up, clarity and overall performance benefits which are unsurpassed.