Contact Adhesive Tips!

The right and wrong’s of contact adhesive.
Contact adhesives are great! We offer the best range of contact adhesives in Ireland and they are used in a huge range of applications. The general understanding of them is that you simply apply them to the materials you want to adhere, allow them to dry, and stick them together. Yes, it can be as simple as that but amongst all families of our industrial glues, contact adhesive are regularly subjected to misuse.
First of all, what are contact adhesives? Contact adhesives are pretty unique. They are typically applied by brush or spray, onto both sides of the materials being glued. When the film of glue dries, they show what is called ‘auto adhesion’. This means that when the dried films touch each other, they bond immediately. The first problem we often see are with customers who attempt to bond the materials too soon after the glue has been applied. If this happens, the glued parts will have low strength and surface defects, such as blister formation, may occur.
The second most commonly seen problem is placing the glue covered parts. Since the surfaces bond immediately upon contact, great care needs to be taken in positioning the substrates. Once they touch….that’s it…….repositioning them will be next to impossible.
So what suggestions can I give you? Here are a couple of simple tips which will make your use of contact adhesives a problem free job.
- The materials being bonded must be clean and dry.
- Use a brush or serrated spreader and apply a thin coat of the contact adhesive to both sides of the materials being bonded.
- Allow the solvent to evaporate. Depending on the materials being bonded, the temperature and humidity, this should take about five minutes (absorbent materials) and fifteen minutes (non-absorbent or non-permeable materials). Don’t forget, some materials, such as MDF, should optimally be coated with two coats of adhesive, wet on dry.
- How will you know when most of the solvent has evaporated? Using your in index finger, tap repeatedly on the glue, the glue film should be dry to the touch!
- Finally, be sure that the glued parts are positioned perfectly….and bond using firm, uniform pressure.
When using contact adhesives, don’t become unstuck! Always feel free to contact our laboratories. We offer Ireland’s best range of contact adhesives and the best advice to use them.