Columns

Ask Dr. Dave

What is the difference between thermoplastic and thermoset adhesives?

Thermoset and thermoplastic adhesives can be differentiated by whether or not they soften on heating.

November 18, 2019

Adhesives can be classified in several ways, including their material origin (e.g., natural or synthetic) and their type of cure (e.g., physical curing such as drying or chemical curing).

Ask Dr. Dave

What cure systems are available for UV adhesives?

UV adhesives can be cured using free radicals for acrylic adhesives or cations for cationic monomers.

Dave Dunn Ph.D.

October 24, 2019

Adhesive and coating systems that use ultraviolet (UV) or visible light to begin the curing are intrinsically very attractive systems to the manufacturing engineer, allowing assembly of components and then “curing on command” by exposing to the radiation.

Tape Talk

Build (and Go) with Tape

Pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) tape is a viable and irreplaceable tool to have at the ready for all projects.

Michel Merkx

September 13, 2019

Summer is coming to an end. A lucky few of you are finishing up home renovation projects, while the rest of us are putting them off until next year.

Ask Dr. Dave

How can acrylic adhesives be used at very high temperatures?

Dr. Dave discusses steps that can be taken to ensure that acrylic adhesives perform as expected in high-temperature applications, such as automotive.

Dave Dunn Ph.D.

September 3, 2019

Acrylics such as tough acrylics and anaerobics are routinely used at 150˚C in situations like automotive under-the-hood applications.

Ask Dr. Dave

What are the best adhesives and sealants to use for home repairs and craft projects?

Dr. Dave details adhesive and sealant selections for various consumer applications.

Dave Dunn Ph.D.

August 26, 2019

Over a long career, I have worked with several adhesive and sealant technologies and have tried many of them at home.

Ask Dr. Dave

What would you recommend for bonding PVC plastics?

Dr. Dave shares bonding tips for PVC plastics, as well as suggestions on cyanoacrylate solutions for EPDM.

Dave Dunn Ph.D.

July 26, 2019

In the plumbing industry, solvent-based PVC cements are used for bonding PVC plastics. However, if you need a solvent-free system, cyanoacrylates and reactive acrylics have been widely used on rigid PVC.

Ask Dr. Dave

Why do monomers from different suppliers result in different cure speeds and stabilities for anaerobic adhesives?

Dr. Dave tackles the effect that monomers can have on anaerobic adhesives formulations.

Dave Dunn Ph.D.

June 24, 2019

I started my career as a chemist with Loctite Corp., and we used to manufacture our own monomers.

Strategic Solutions

Will Your Next Car be Assembled Like a Smartphone?

Electrically conductive adhesive use is rising as fine spacing, environmental restrictions, and new materials impact or replace vehicle assembly methods.

James (Jim) E. Swope

June 18, 2019

Mobility trends point to the expanded use of sensors, cameras, and electronic controls in vehicle assembly.

Ask Dr. Dave

Are there adhesives and sealants that expand on curing to fill gaps?

In his May 2019 column, Dr. Dave addresses a question about gap-filling adhesives and sealants.

Dave Dunn Ph.D.

May 1, 2019

This is a good question for two reasons: first, adhesives and sealants often have to fill large irregular gaps and expansion on curing enables them to achieve this; and second, the products usually shrink on curing.