Home Repair and Paint Guide

... Epoxy consists of an epoxy resin and hardener. There are a lot of different resins and hardeners available to cover a wide range of materials. Epoxy adhesive has good strength and low shrinkage. However, epoxies can have low peel strength and some tend to be brittle. Epoxy adhesives are available in one part, two part, and film forms. Polyurethane adhesives are chemically reactive, fast curing one or two part systems. They provide strong joints which are impact resistant and have good low temperature strength. Polyurethanes are useful for bonding glass fibre reinforced plastics (GRP). The fast cure usually necessitates machine application. Silicones are not very strong as far as adhesives are concerned. Their main features are flexibility and high temperature resistance. They are available in single or two part forms. Single part silicones are often used as bath and shower sealants, especially around tubs, sinks, and where ceramic tile meets the top of tub surfaces. Their adhesion to surfaces is only fair, but flexibility and durability are excellent. The two part versions require a hardening agent. Two part silicone systems work better in thick sections than single part types. Phenolics are used for joining metal to metal and metal to wood. They require heat and pressure for the curing process. They have been in-use for a long time and produce strong joints. Hot melts are based on thermoplastics and used for fast assembly. The parts to be joined should only be lightly loaded. These types of adhesives cannot handle high load or flexing of the joined materials. Rubber adhesives and rubber sealants are highly flexible materials that are used to join components or fill gaps between seams. Rubber adhesives and sealants are available as aerosols, films, gels, liquids, slurries, solids, pastes, powders, and putties. They are compatible with substrates made from ceramics, glass, concrete, masonry, paper, rubbers, leather, textiles, metal, plastic, wood, porous surfaces, and composite materials ...