Adhesives: types and uses

In short: There are suitable adhesives for wood, metal, plastic, ceramics or textiles, and they differ greatly in strength, drying time and load capacity. Choosing the right glue and preparing the surfaces well produces durable joints.

In more detail: Adhesives cure in different ways, for example through the evaporation of water or solvents, through humidity in the air or through a chemical reaction between two components. The manufacturer’s information on materials, temperature and curing time is crucial.

In detail

• PVA wood glue: Water-based wood glue is suitable for wood joints, sets firmly under pressure from clamps and is usually transparent once dry.
• Superglue: Cyanoacrylate glue cures in seconds and suits small, closely fitting parts; it also bonds skin very quickly, so apply it carefully and avoid contact with the eyes.
• Two-part adhesive: Epoxy resin is mixed from resin and hardener, fills gaps and holds very firmly on metal, stone and many plastics.
• Contact adhesive: It is applied to both surfaces, left briefly to become touch-dry and then pressed together firmly; the position can hardly be corrected afterwards.
• Construction adhesive: Thick cartridge adhesives sometimes replace wall plugs and screws for light loads, such as for trims or panels, but are not suitable for every load.
• Hot glue: Glue from a hot glue gun is handy for crafts but holds only to a limited extent under heat and heavy loads; the nozzle and the liquid glue are very hot.
• Preparation: Make bonding surfaces clean, dry and free of dust and grease, and lightly roughen smooth surfaces if needed.
• Difficult plastics: Some plastics such as polyethylene or polypropylene can hardly be bonded permanently with conventional adhesives; special products exist for them.
• Safety: With solvent-based adhesives, ventilate well, avoid skin contact by wearing gloves and follow the safety instructions on the packaging (holz-leimen-und-verbinden, silikonfuge-erneuern).