Tips and things to consider when buying adhesives advice, Property building substrates guide
Tips And Things To Consider When Buying Adhesives Guide
23 October 2022
The existing woodwork and metalwork assemblies or even the everyday DIY things in your home consist of adhesives to connect and form bonds between different substrates. The use of adhesives has shown significant advantages to the assemblies in terms of cost and durability. Due to the high demand for adhesives, there has been a rise in adhesive manufacturers, making it hard for customers to differentiate between the quality of the bonding material. Below are tips and things to consider when buying adhesives.
Substrates being connected
Different adhesives have different tensile strengths when connecting other substrates. Knowing what type of substrates you are bonding is essential in determining the type of adhesive you need to buy. For example, if you are joining one metal substrate to another, you will most likely purchase an epoxy metal adhesive as it is known to work well while connecting metal. Most common substrates are metals and plastics. But did you know that there are a variety of substrates and they are not compatible with just any adhesive? For example, Teflon and ABS are plastic, but Teflon requires an account acid etch, whereas ABS can be bonded with an alcohol cleaning.
How clean do substrates need to be for adhesives to work?
No matter the type of substrates you are connecting, how clean they are will determine the type of adhesive you have to buy. Some adhesives do not hold bonds if the substrates are not cleaned properly. Some adhesives may work with regularly cleaned substrates, while others may require a more complex cleaning, such as a chemical etch or abrasion to bond and hold the substrates for an extended period of time. If you have the financial resources to conduct a more complex operation like an abrasion, then you will be able to use the optimal adhesive that is both durable and resistant to environmental conditions. For guidance on complex operations on home substrates you can visit architect offices for more information.
Thermal cure and UV cure adhesives
The process and speed in which an adhesive cures will significantly determine whether it is suitable for your use or not. UV cure adhesives can be cured easily, but they must be exposed to light, and one of the substrate materials must be able to transmit UV light. Thermal cure adhesives are easy to cure as they only require room temperature or minimal heating to cure completely. The concern here will depend on where you want to use the adhesive. If it is outside, it is best to use UV cure adhesives where there is easy access to UV light. If it is in your home or in an enclosed space where sunlight does not reach, it is best to use thermal cure adhesives that cure at room temperature.
The period of use and environmental conditions
For example, you are putting plasterboard on the wall or reconnecting domestic sewerage pipes and need to connect a temporary water pipe. Using adhesives may seem like a perfect solution for gluing plasterboard, but this will wholly depend on the type of adhesive you use. Gluing plasterboard is a extended operation, so it needs a solid and durable bond to affix it to the wall and prevent the plasterboard from falling off. When connecting a temporary water pipe, it is best to use a less strong adhesive to make it easy to disconnect later and prevent leaving marks.
The surface energy
Different substrates have different surface energy levels. The lower the surface energy of a substrate, the stronger the type of adhesive you need. A good example of this is plastic and metal. Plastic has a very low surface energy of about 18, whereas metal substrate has a high surface energy of above 1000. In this comparison, plastic will require a stronger adhesive than metal to connect the substrates and stay in contact for a long time.
The cost of the adhesive can also play an essential part in determining which adhesive you will buy, due to budget restraints. In short, buying adhesives is just like grocery shopping: there is a list of things to consider before making the right purchase.
Comments on this guide to Tips and things to consider when buying adhesives article are welcome.
Architecture
Rowanbank Gardens, Corstorphine
Rowanbank Gardens Edinburgh Housing
West Town Vision
image courtesy of architects practice
West Town Edinburgh Property Vision
Comments / photos for the Tips and things to consider when buying adhesives guide page welcome
