Polystyrene gluing tips.

One application for which we regularly receive technical enquiries, is in gluing polystyrene. And if you are looking to glue polystyrene, read on!

Polystyrene, is that well known  lightweight material that most are familiar with, primarily from its use as an insulation and packaging product.

In industrial applications, such as an insulation medium for floor, wall and roofs, we commonly seek requests for gluing it onto plywood, silicate panels, and of course, plasterboard. In these applications, the common process is to apply the glue onto the plasterboard, or wood, and place the expanded polystyrene on the wet glue. The glue may be applied automatically through a glue spreader, or manually using something like a Pizzi roller. Glue coverage may be total coverage, or in the form of beads, which may be 2.0 mm to 4.0 mm thick.

For gluing polystyrene onto a porous material, such as the aforementioned wood or plasterboard, any one of our waterbased glues may be used. This is possible because one of the materials being glued, is porous. This porosity allows the water contained within the glue, to be absorbed and to slowly evaporate. The choice of glue depends on your method of glue application, and the material which you are gluing the polystyrene to. Both our W286 and W300 range, have established themselves as the glue of choice. Odourless, fast drying, and application tools may be washed down with cold water.

Now say we want to glue polystyrene to a non porous material, such as foil faced polyurethane, steel or concrete. In these applications, we typically choose a solvent based glue, and there is nothing better than Alpha SN 1899. Alpha SN1899 is a non-flammable glue which is applied by spray. The glue is applied to both sides of the materials being glued, and after approximately two minutes, the materials are placed in close contact with each other. Some pressure is required but be careful. Don’t exert so much pressure, such that the polystyrene is damaged.

There are other glues which may also be used to glue polystyrene. As an example, moisture cure polyurethanes find specific use in the manufacture of prefabricated buildings. In these applications, our polyurethane glue is applied to the steel by roller. Immediately after this, the polystyrene is placed upon the wet polyurethane, and the whole wall assembly is clamped. This is typically achieved through the use of clamps or air-filled bags.

Finally, we have some ancillary methods. We typically suggest these methods for specific applications, such as to customers who are gluing small polystyrene parts, in for example concrete form work. Many or our cartridge applied glues are immensely suitable for these jobs, you know, the jobs that need only a thin bead of glue. The cartridge glues are quick, safe and trouble free.