Have you ever heard of adhesives for temperatures far above 100 degrees, for humid environments, even for adhesion under water? If not, that’s about to change. We introduce you to a few “super adhesives” that withstand extreme conditions.
What matters when choosing an adhesive
Gluing is a great thing. No time-consuming drilling, screwing, riveting or welding – just a little glue and you can easily join all kinds of materials together. Practical, isn’t it? Many branches of industry know this, which is why modern joining technology is used almost everywhere today. For example in the automotive industry, the production of consumer goods, series production and in many other areas.
As versatile as the areas of application for bonding are, so is the selection of adhesives themselves. We have already explained to you in another article in this series that there cannot be one adhesive for everything.
When choosing an adhesive, it is not only important to consider which materials are to be bonded together, but also what kind of stress the bond will be exposed to afterwards. Depending on the environment, the adhesive may need to be particularly moisture-resistant, heat-resistant, elastic, etc.
Adhesive-professional WEICON knows about these very different environmental conditions and has developed special adhesive types that cope well with them. In the following, we are going to present you a few of them.
Extreme types – a selection
For high temperatures – VA 180 HT + Easy-Mix 180 HT
The one-component instant adhesive VA 180 HT was developed for applications in the high-temperature range and is temperature-resistant up to +180 °C. The adhesive is particularly suitable for applications with high temperatures.
The adhesive is particularly suitable for fixing parts that are exposed to strong temperature fluctuations, such as in the vicinity of running engines. VA 180 HT can be used in a wide variety of industries, such as lamp and luminaire construction or in the production of kitchen and electrical appliances.
Let’s stay briefly with adhesives that do not mind temperatures up to 180 °C. This includes the two-component epoxy adhesive Easy-Mix HT 180, which can even withstand temperatures of up to +230 °C a short period of time. The highly viscous, impact-resistant Easy-Mix HT 180 is particularly suitable for bonding metal. Due to its high temperature resistance, its often used in areas where components are later thermo-painted (powder-coated).
For humid environments – VA 200 HR
Let’s now focus on another extreme condition – humidity. The VA 200 HR instant adhesive shows consistent performance even after several days of constant exposure to moisture and heat. It can cope with different weather conditions without hesitation.For example, VA 200 HR can be used in pipe and construction work, in the construction of kitchen and electrical appliances, in container and apparatus construction, in ventilation and air-conditioning technology, in gardening and landscaping or in the sanitary sector.
It is suitable for a wide variety of applications. For example fixing the control unit in a dishwasher, making seals for concrete pipes or mounting accessories in rooms with increased humidity. Those rooms are kitchens or bathrooms. It is also usable for fixing parts for outdoor sports, such as rubber profiles on a snowboard.
For underwater applications – Repair Stick Aqua
The fact that there are moisture-resistant adhesives may not surprise you. After all, the joints of your shower, bathtub and co. are sealed with silicone at home. Admittedly, silicones are strictly speaking called sealants and not adhesives, but the principle remains the same. But can you also imagine that there are adhesives for underwater applications?The ceramic-filled Repair Stick Aqua delivers what its name promises. Among other things, it is suitable for quickly repairing and sealing cracks, holes and leaks on water tanks, in sanitary facilities and in swimming pools. Wet environments do not affect the Repair Stick at all. It can even be applied under water.
There are so many more
The adhesive types presented for extreme conditions are only a small selection. WEICON offers the right product solution for every bonding problem.
For example, there is the VA 250 Black – a superglue that is resistant to high temperatures, insensitive to moisture and has a high residual elasticity. There is also the Pipe Repair Kit for quick emergency repairs to defective pipes. Or the acrylate structural adhesive Easy-Mix RK-7300, which bonds even low-energy plastics such as PE or PP. The list could go on and on.
This means that a look at the WEICON Product World is definitely worthwhile if you are looking for a special adhesive for your application. The WEICON Adhesive Finder will help you find the right product.
Images: WEICON
