Metal adhesives are commonly divided into two groups – structural and machinery. Structural adhesives are those able to withstand structural loads. Here is a breakdown of the four main types of metal adhesives available:
- Acrylic
This comes in two forms – bead on bead and surface activated. Beads of adhesive are put onto the substrates and the bonding occurs when pressure is added to both surfaces of the substrates. Surface activated involves a thin initiator on one side and a resin on the other.
- Epoxy
This is one of the toughest of metal adhesives. There are different varieties and some offer specific properties like heat or chemical resistance. Epoxy glue comes either in a one or two component application. A single epoxy glue requires additional heat for curing while a stronger 2K glue contains two components that react with each other to start the curing process. For more information on a range of Metal bonding adhesive, consider Metal bonding adhesive from CT1
- Anaerobic
This adhesive is only used for metal to metal applications as it requires no oxygen and a metal surface for bonding to occur. Anaerobic adhesives are best suited to securing fasteners for thread sealing and threadlocking.
- Cyanoacrylate
This is an instant glue also known as superglue for metal on metal applications. Cyanoacrylate glue can be used on almost any type of metal as long as the metal is reactive. It is a high performing and popular glue, working better on copper and brass than steel, for example.
