Experts with composite gluing

As the most well known glue supplier in Ireland, we are regularly asked about the best glue choices for bonding composite materials?

In actual fact, the choice of glue depends on the materials, the manufacturing process, and the  rigour to which the glue-line must stand up.

In most cases the well balanced mechanical properties of structural polyurethane glue are offer both sufficient strength at elevated temperature (short term up to about 190°C, long term up to 100 °C) and sufficient low temperature (- 40°C) elasticity to cope with vibration and different thermal elongation of the glued parts.

But what if there is a high heat resistance requirement? As an example, high heat resistance may be required if part of the manufacturing step includes oven processing.

In these cases, we need to seriously consider epoxy glue. Although less flexible and requiring closer bond gaps than polyurethanes, epoxy glues are available in a much wider range if viscosities and fixture times, enabling our technologist to specify a glue to meet your manufacturing needs.

If larger structures are being glued, such as applications in the rail sector (i.e. bonding of outer composite panels to the steel framework) a highly flexible glue is required to compensate for the  movement of the parts during the life cycle.

Is there a way to increase the strength of the glue joint? In actual fact there is. Over the years, our chemists have developed a range of high technology primers. Several of these are based on a novel titanium based polyolefin epoxy which our organic chemistry laboratory developed for gluing low energy plastics.

Another trick is to increase the bond area of the joint. Although not always the optimum solution, some lack of glue strength can be compensated for.

But don’t forget, adhesive selection does not only include evaluating the surface characteristics  and strength to a particular material, it involves a whole range of possible criteria. As the best known research based manufacturer and distributor of industrial glue, we provide the full technical service, from glue specification to complete serial production manufacturing. A turn-key solution for your composite gluing applications.