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Brookfield test cell

Viscosity 101

Many factors need to be considered when devising meaningful viscosity tests for adhesives and sealants.
Robert McGregor David Moonay Ph.D.
October 1, 2010
Most people in the adhesives and sealants industry are aware of viscosity and realize that it characterizes the way a material will flow. More technically speaking, viscosity refers to a material's resistance to flow; it can be measured in various ways, depending on the application.
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pressure sensitive adhesives 101 1

Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives 101

This article explains what a pressure-sensitive adhesive is, how it is constructed and what adhesive options are available.
Kurt Schramer
October 1, 2009
Pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are used in applications ranging from labeling food packaging to assembling electronic devices to mounting graphics displays. Although they have been around for decades and their use is widespread, manufacturers, converters, and printers may not understand the key differences between the adhesive choices available, how they’re constructed, or which are best suited for a particular job.
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SpecialChem fire retardant adhesives

Fire-Retardant Adhesives

This article examines the external events that have led to greater awareness of adhesives’ performance in the event of a fire, the standards and regulations that are being imposed, and the development of new fire-resistant materials.
Edward M. Petrie
November 1, 2007
Historically, fire resistance has not generally been a significant requirement when specifying adhesive systems. Recent incidents, however, indicate that this may soon change. These include events outside of the formulators’ arena, such as increased sensitivity to the performance of components in a fire, and events within the formulators’ arena, such as the development of flame-resistant additives.
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Lanxess workers on platform
Product Profile

Butyl Rubber: A Primer

What is butyl rubber and how is it used?
October 1, 2007

Butyl rubber is a copolymer of isobutylene and isoprene. Simple copolymers are known as “regular” or “clear” butyl rubber, or simply “butyl.” When butyl rubbers are modified after polymerization with the halogens bromine or chlorine, a second family, known as halobutyl rubber (or halobutyls), results.


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biodegradable polymers

Biodegradable Polymers in Adhesive Systems

Many biodegradable polymers are suited for adhesive applications, such as environmentally friendly packaging, recyclable envelope adhesives and biomedical devices.
Edward M. Petrie
June 1, 2007

Significant advances have been made over the past 20 years in the development of biodegradable polymers. These materials have been developed in a variety of forms, and thus have potential use in a range of industries, including adhesives.


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handwashing

Safety First: Safe Handling of Adhesives and Sealants

While cured adhesives and sealants are generally considered safe, care must be taken with airborne particles, decomposition products, and uncured components.
Edward M. Petrie
March 1, 2007

Completely cured adhesives and sealants are generally considered safe and non-toxic, although caution must be exercised when machining or grinding joints due to airborne particles. Also, decomposition products may exhibit substantial vapor pressures that present health and safety issues. However, it is exposure to uncured components that can be the most harmful, and that is the subject of this article.


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SpecialChem bathtub sealants

How Sealants Function

How do the application and performance characteristics of sealants correlate to the composition of the sealant formulation?
Edward M. Petrie
February 27, 2006
Sealants are generally chosen for their ability to fill gaps, resist relative movement of the substrates, and exclude or contain another material. Sealants are generally lower in strength than adhesives, but have better flexibility. Usually, a sealant must effectively bond to a substrate in order to perform these functions.
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Adhering to Difficult Substrates with Silicone Adhesives

Substrates with reactive groups available for bonding make chemical bonding easier to achieve, while substrates with nothing to react to make adhesion difficult.
October 1, 2005
Adhesive technology is equal parts chemistry and "black magic." The sheer number of available substrates makes it nearly impossible to test each adhesive on every type. However, by conducting tests on a selection of novel, or difficult-to-adhere-to, substrates, we can make inferences that may help narrow the choice of adhesives.
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