Basic details and features:

LOCTITE Structural adhesives based on acrylic technology bond multiple substrates, including metals, ferrites, glass, plastic (polypropylene, polyethylene), and wood. This helps in achieving strong and durable bonds, high impact, and peel strength. They are 2-component no mix (also known as 2-step) systems or 2- component pre-mix systems. The 2-component no mix systems have flexible assembly times whereas the 2- component premix systems have higher gap tolerances.

  • Excellent where bond rigidity is needed
  • Provide unlimited gap filling capabilities
  • Excellent when thermal and chemical resistance is needed
  • Low shrinkage and low out-gassing adhesives
  • Wide variety of formulations available

Talk to our expert for first-hand information for achieving reliable results with LOCTITE Structural Bonding solutions.

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Learn how LOCTITE Structural Bonding solutions can help you in achieving reliable results with maximum strength.

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How the technology works
Both 2-component no mix and 2-component pre-mix systems work on the mechanism of radical polymerization.

2-component no mix product-Adhesive is applied on one side and the activator (initiator) on the other (generally the inactive substrate). The curing starts immediately after joining the two substrates. These are recommended for:

  • Filling the gaps to ensure there is no air between resin and activator
  • When flexible assembly time is preferred

2-component premix product-The 2 parts of the dual cartridge are mixed in a static mixer mounted on the cartridge. These adhesives are formulated with methylmethaacrylate (MMA) resin to form high strength bonds. These are recommended where:

  • Good gap filling ability is required
  • Fast curing on metals like iron and steel and plastics like ABS and fiberglass is required
Popular Applications
  • Bonding metal panels on metal frames such as cabinets, antennas etc.

  • Bonding metal to metal where riveting or welding does not work

  • Magnet bonding in speakers, electric motors, transformers, small engines

  • Bonding plastic to plastic like ABS to polycarbonate

  • Bonding metals to plastics like cast iron to ABS or cast iron to glass reinforced plastic

  • Bonding composite wall panels to steel frame in vehicles for lightweighting

  • Polyolefin bonding

Case Studies

Increasing the output of your production line

A custom sign manufacturer used LOCTITE to increase its production output by 20%.

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Cutting down production cost by simplifying the manufacturing process

A crane manufacturer was able to join dissimilar metals using LOCTITE for a planned addition to their cranes.

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Increasing productivity by simplifying the manufacturing process

A dehumidifier manufacturer used LOCTITE to join powder-coated panels with stainless steel cabinets without welding to pass their impact test requirements.

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Increasing the reliability of the manufactured product without welding

A truck body manufacturer used LOCTITE to bond door panels to the frames to skip the welding process.

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Cutting down the cost of manufacturing with better bonding

An emergency exit stairs manufacturer used LOCTITE to improve the reliability of their stair handrails while reducing the overall production cost.

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Reducing warranty claims against your assemblies

A plastics molder used LOCTITE to replace ultrasonic welding used in the subassembly steps for the housing of a handheld electronic device.

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Reducing warranty claims by improving the product strength

A fan manufacturer used LOCTITE to strengthen the blade to hub connection and reduce warranty costs.

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Available Technologies
Depending on the field of application, various adhesive technologies with specific product properties are available for structural bonding. Selection of the best-suited technology for your application depends on shear strength and flexibility (elongation).

Epoxies

Polyurethanes

Silane Modified Polymers (SMP)

Hybirds

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Help & Support

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Learn how LOCTITE Structural Bonding solutions can help you in achieving reliable results with maximum strength.

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frequently asked questions
Here's list of queries with responses that might help you.

We have been using welding for our structural requirement. Will structural adhesives be able to achieve the right strength?

LOCTITE structural adhesives have been proven to be able to take almost as much load as overlap welding and that too at only half the cost. LOCTITE adhesive also offer other advantages like making the process simple, and providing sealing along with bonding.

We use adhesive tapes. It is not messy. Wouldn’t using LOCTITE adhesives increase the process time and cost?

While double sided adhesive tapes are not messy, their application process is definitely very long and complicated – what with the need to cut to specific dimensions and expensive activators. LOCTITE adhesives are mostly applied through static mixers that ensures precise application without any mess.

We are using polypropylene and we have tried to use multiple methods and adhesives before, but they didn’t work. Which LOCTITE adhesives would be suitable?

There are many suitable LOCTITE structural adhesives based on acrylic, epoxy, modified silane and hybrid technologies that would be ideal for bonding polypropylene. Drop a query to our LOCTITE experts with the specifics of the application requirement and they will be able to recommend the right solution.

Replacing rivets is out of question – if we use adhesives, it will take longer to bond but with rivets we would be able to assemble instantly.

Rivets offer the advantage of instant assembly, however result into concerns of reliability because of uneven stress concentrate points that become fatigue and failure points and also lead to corrosion. Instead, LOCTITE structural adhesives offer better reliability and come in various cure types which can be further accelerated with the help of activators.

Can LOCTITE products withstand loads under extreme humidity and temperature conditions?

Yes, LOCTITE structural adhesives have been designed to withstand heavy loads under various ambient conditions. Especially, LOCTITE structural adhesives based on modified silane technology which cure in the presence of humidity, are excellent for outside applications where high temperature, UV resistance etc. features are preferred.

Which LOCTITE structural adhesives can bond rubber to metal?

LOCTITE structural adhesives based on acrylic, epoxy, modified silane technology and hybrids are excellent for bonding rubber to metal. Drop a query to our LOCTITE experts with the specifics of the application requirement and they will be able to recommend the right solution.

Is it possible to bond glass to glass or glass to metal with LOCTITE adhesives?

Yes, bonding dissimilar substrates like glass to metal or even glass to glass is possible with LOCTITE adhesives. If optical clarity and aesthetics is a must, choose clear epoxies like LOCTITE E-30 CL. Otherwise LOCTITE acrylics are also a great choice for bonding glass to metal or glass to glass. Prefer modified silanes if glass has to be fixed to a metallic frame. Drop a query to our LOCTITE experts with the specifics of the application requirement and they will be able to recommend the right solution.

Is any surface preparation needed before applying LOCTITE structural adhesives?

Removal of dirt, dust or other surface impurities from the surfaces to be bonded is important before adhesive application as they can interfere with the effectiveness of the bond strength. This can be achieved through either degreasing or abrasion. Chemical treatments like primers, corona discharge, flame and plasma treatments can also be used to modify the surface properties to further enhance bond strength.

What is meant by open time/working time/pot life of an adhesive?

Open time is the time within which parts should be assembled post application of the adhesive to ensure proper surface wetting and achieve maximum strength.

What does on part life of adhesive signify?

This term is relevant for adhesives where activator is used on one of the parts. On-part life is the time within which activator or primer provides full performance.

What is the difference between fixture time and full cure time?

Fixture time of an adhesive is the time needed to achieve enough strength to hold the parts together without additional support or to achieve lap shear strength of 0.1 N/mm2 whereas full cure time of an adhesive is the time needed to achieve full performance.

What is a hybrid adhesive?

Combination of two different adhesive technologies, which are normally stand-alone technologies and at the outset cannot be manually mixed. A Hybrid combines the positive attributes of both technologies which provides new performance parameter. LOCTITE Hybrid adhesives combine the speed of cyanoacrylates (commonly known as instant adhesives) with the strength of epoxies/acrylates to give universal that can bond anything in seconds providing high strength.