Industrial adhesives service thousands of diverse companies across several businesses, including packaging, woodworking, graphic art, and many more. Although some forms are usually practised more than others, all of them are intended to help a particular application depending on the job or product you are dealing with.
While hot melt adhesives tend to be the most popular, other forms like water-based and reactive adhesives are also available for use. They can extend you the same quality results as a hot melt adhesive, depending, again, on the job at hand.
An adhesive is a blend, either in liquid or semi-liquid form that is utilised to bond one surface to another. Most adhesives are polymer-based and are produced from natural or synthetic sources. Adhesives are formed explicitly for precise applications, depending on the adhesive and the business you are working in.
Water-based adhesives are provided as pre-mixed solutions or are formed as dry powders, which producers and sellers must then mix with water to get its adhesion properties. These characteristics are achieved when water is either lost from the glue line (by evaporation) or absorbed by the substrate. Because of this, it is necessary to use at least one porous substrate when utilising water-based adhesives.
Latex Adhesives
Produced from emulsified elastomers or rubbers. Latex adhesives are recommended to apply on the substrate surface and then left to dry for attaining the solid bond. They’re primarily used for envelopes, leather, fabric, bonding stamps, and wood.
Resin/Polymer Acetate Adhesives
For these, water is mixed with polymers such as ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and polyvinyl acetate (PVA) to create a right white liquid mixture. It can be used for paper, but also plastic and wood.
Animal/Protein (Casein) Adhesives
Derived and processed from animal organs, these adhesives are specially produced to make hot glue (known as casein glue). It’s more resistant to water and moisture. Therefore, utilised by the wine and beer bottling industry.
Vegetable Glue/Starch (Dextrin) Adhesives
Commonly used in the paper industry for tasks such as bookbinding, these are the most popular water adhesives we use in our daily life. Although they’re durable with paper, with a vegetable base, they are more susceptible to breakdown when exposed to water.
