Print Page | Email Page An Adhesive for Every Purpose: Choose the Right One the First Time Print Page | Email Page Sign up for HotMeltNews & Tips Periodic Emailings of Articles & Industry News Enter your Email Address, Click GO

Hot Melt

• Known as hot melt or thermoplastic resin
  
• Has fast bonding capabilities
  
• Typically at temperatures between 275 to 375F
  
• Used for packaging, printing, bindery,interior assembly applications among others
  
• Available in a variety of forms to include stick, chip, pellet, wafer, block, pail and drum
  
• Must be processed in a hot melt unit
  
• Offers a strong surface bond to a wide range of substrates
  
• Non toxic and non flammable

• Protein based adhesive
  
• Must be applied at 150F
  
• It is a good cross between hot melt and white glue.
  
• Offers good open time before making lamination between porous substrates
  
• Repulpable and biodegradable
  
• Available in gelatinous form that must be processed in specific heated machinery

• Known as Moisture Curing Hot Melt
  
• Available with short or long open times and fast set times
  
• Bonds a wide range of substrates
  
• Cures to a strong, flexible bond
  
• Available in cartridge, slug , pail and drum form
  
• High and low temperature resistance

• Known as polyvinyl acetate (PVA).
  
• A non-waterproof adhesive often used for interior woodworking jobs, where a waterproof joint is not required.
  
• Usually packaged in plastic squeeze bottles, these inexpensive, milky-white glues dry clear and are fast setting.
  
• Bonds paper, fabric, cardboard, cork and leather, as well as wood
  
• Can withstand a moderate amount of strain and cleans up easily with soap and water
  
• Non toxic and non flammable.
  
• Inexpensive milky-white glues are fast sitting and dry clear

• Also called carpenter’s glue
  
• Has a faster grab than white glue (set time is usually within 15 minutes)
  
• Is usually tinted an off-white or yellow
  
• Woodworkers’ glue is used in applications where better water resistance, heat resistance and ease of sanding are desired
  
• Non toxic and non flammable

• Known as Super Glue (cyanoacrylates)


• This glue creates a strong, instant bond with a small amount of glue
  
• Regular cyanoacrylates will bond almost all non-porous materials such as ceramic, some plastics, rubber, metal or synthetics
  
• Comes in gel form
  
• Should be handled with extreme care and kept off of skin

• Epoxy is designed primarily for the bonding of non-porous surfaces, but can also be used effectively on wood
  
• Available in clear, white or metallic finish
  
• Most epoxies come in two parts: a resin and a hardener (or “catalyst”) which must be mixed together before the adhesive is used
  
• Once mixed, the material will set permanently in a specified length of time—most will permanently bond, even under water
  
• The bond will withstand most solvents when curing is complete
  
• Excellent for sealing gaps and will withstand vibration and shock
  
• Can be used on pipes, radiators, wood, metal, ceramic tile, china, marble, glass and masonry
  
• Since epoxy is toxic and flammable, use extreme caution when handling

• Is a one-part adhesive offering the strength of an epoxy without mixing
  
• Generally requires 4 to 24 hours to fully cure, but it does bond to most materials
  
• Cures in the presence of moisture, so wetting one or both materials to be joined is required
  
• Good for a bond between either similar or dissimilar surfaces, is commonly used in woodworking
  
• Waterproof, sandable, paintable and stainable

• Can be used on many surfaces, but the joints may come apart under a heavy load
  
• Good to bond laminates to countertops and cabinets, or to glue plastic foam, hardboard or metal to wood
  
• Instant adhesion makes contact cement difficult to use. It bonds immediately without clamping and resists water, temperature extremes and fungi
  
• Contact cement is most effective when one or both surfaces are porous or semi-porous
  
• Contains solvents that should be allowed to flash off before assembly


• Non-flammable versions are available

• Is two-component adhesive of liquid resin and powdered catalyst
  
• Used in wood joints, it cures under pressure in 10 hours at 70° F.
  
• Ideal for exterior structural applications because of its waterproof and weatherproof qualities

• Ideal for strong, flexible joints on wood, dissimilar surfaces such as metal, rubber, glass, ceramics, brick, wood and polystyrene foam

• Known as powdered urea formaldehyde glue
  
• When mixed with water, it makes highly water-resistant bonds
  
• Frequently used for furniture repair, it is applied to clean, close-fitting surfaces and cured under pressure for at least 10 hours at 70° F
  
• The finished glue is non-toxic and impervious to most materials

• Known as mastic, which is also a general term for any thick adhesive
  
• Used in heavy-duty bonding and construction applications


• Mastics are usually applied with a caulking gun or trowel
  
• Reduces the need for screws, nails and other fasteners in construction
  
• Flexible and waterproof qualities make them ideal for outdoor applications
  
• Can be used to join flooring and sub-flooring, paneling, drywall and roofing, molding, tile, masonry and concrete, metal and wood