| acrylic adhesive |
A type of structural adhesive made from acrylic, a manufactured polymer. Acrylic adhesives set rapidly and are very strong due to heavy cross-linking. |
| adhesive |
A substance used to join two or more materials. The pros and cons of adhesives relate specifically to how adhesives differ from the materials used for welding and mechanical fastening. |
| adhesive bonding |
The process of binding materials together using any number of adhesive substances. Paste, glue, and tape are examples of common adhesives. |
| adhesive failure |
The inability of an adhesive to stick to a surface. During adhesive failure, the adhesive cannot bind two surfaces together and separates from the substrate. |
| anaerobic adhesive |
A type of structural adhesive that can cure and harden only in an environment absent of oxygen. |
| blueprint |
A document that contains the instructions necessary to manufacture and/or assemble a part. |
| butt joint |
A joint formed by two surfaces that meet without overlap or complex intersection. Butt joints are often combined with other joint designs. |
| carbon dioxide |
A heavy, colorless, odorless gas. Carbon dioxide can be used to extinguish fires fueled by adhesives or curing agents. |
| carrier |
The backing material to which pressure-sensitive adhesives stick. The carrier acts as a mode of transport for the adhesive. |
| cleavage strength |
A material's ability to resist forces that attempt to pull an adhesive apart by separating rigid surfaces. |
| cleavage stress |
A force that pulls an adhesive apart by separating two rigid surfaces. |
| cohesive failure |
The inability of an adhesive to resist internal separation. During cohesive failure, the adhesive sticks to both surfaces, but cannot hold them together. |
| cyanoacrylate |
A type of synthetic adhesive made from acrylic, a manufactured polymer. Cyanoacrylates bond with surfaces very quickly. |
| damping |
The ability to resist stresses and deformation caused by vibration. Adhesives have stronger damping capability than mechanical fasteners. |
| dispenser |
In adhesive bonding, a device that holds an adhesive and ejects the adhesive onto a surface. Dispensers can be handheld or attached to a robot. |
| dry powder |
A solid consisting of very small particles in large numbers. Dry powder can be used to extinguish fires fueled by adhesives or curing agents. |
| epoxy adhesive |
A type of structural adhesive made from epoxy, a manufactured polymer. Epoxy adhesives can bond with a variety of surfaces and are strong and resilient. |
| foam |
A material consisting of a mass of small bubbles formed together into a type of semi-liquid. Foam can be used to extinguish fires caused by adhesives or curing agents. |
| hot melt |
A type of adhesive that requires heat for application and strengthens as it solidifies. |
| joggle lap joint |
A variation of the lap joint design in which one surface area is straight, while the second forms an "S" shape. |
| joining |
The process of bringing and holding materials together by fastening, adhesive bonding, welding, or other similar processes. |
| joint |
The location at which an adhesive layer holds two surfaces together. |
| lap joint |
A joint formed when two surfaces overlap one another. Lap joints provide more stress resistance than butt joints. |
| machine vision |
A system of cameras and computers that can be programmed to complete tasks. Machine vision can be used to help assemblers locate defective products. |
| mechanical fastening |
The process of joining two materials through the physical interaction of a common device, or fastener. Common mechanical fastening processes include bolting and nailing. |
| natural adhesive |
An adhesive made from naturally occurring living sources, such as plants and animals. Natural adhesives are also called organic adhesives. |
| nonstructural adhesive |
A synthetic adhesive used for applications that do not require strong load-bearing capabilities. Nonstructural adhesives can be easily unbonded from surfaces. |
| organic adhesive |
An adhesive made from naturally occurring living sources, such as plants and animals. Organic adhesives are also called natural adhesives. |
| peel strength |
A material's ability to resist forces that attempt to pull an adhesive apart by separating flexible surfaces. |
| peel stress |
A force that pulls an adhesive apart by separating one flexible surface and one rigid surface. |
| pressure-sensitive adhesive |
PSA. An adhesive that needs only minimal pressure to stick to a surface. |
| shear strength |
A material's ability to resist forces that attempt to cause the internal structure of the material to slide against itself. |
| shear stress |
A force that attempts to cause the internal structure of a material to slide against itself. |
| silicone adhesive |
A type of structural adhesive made from silicone. Silicone adhesives set as soon as they contact air. |
| solvent |
A chemical material that attempts to dissolve another material. Solvents can be used to remove adhesives from a surface. |
| strap joint |
A joint design that combines the butt joint and lap joint. A butt joint is formed, and a third plank of material is then adhered to the area above the butt joint. |
| stress |
Any force that attempts to physically deform an object. |
| structural adhesive |
A synthetic adhesive with strong load-bearing capabilities. Structural adhesives are not easily unbonded from surfaces. |
| substrate |
The surface material upon which an adhesive is applied to form a bond or joint. |
| synthetic adhesive |
A chemically manufactured adhesive derived from either thermoplastics or thermosets. Synthetic adhesives are commonly used in industrial settings. |
| tensile strength |
A material's ability to resist forces that attempt to pull apart or stretch it. |
| tensile stress |
A force that attempts to pull apart or stretch a material. |
| tongue and groove joint |
A joint formed by inserting part of one surface material into a recessed area of a second surface. This joint design offers excellent stress resistance. |
| urethane adhesive |
A type of structural adhesive made from urethane, a manufactured polymer. Urethane adhesives form flexible joints. |
| viscosity |
A fluid's resistance to flow. An adhesive must have low viscosity in order to fill the crevices of a surface. However, if the viscosity is too low, the adhesive will run off the surface and form no bond at all. |
| welding |
A joining process that uses heat, pressure, and/or chemicals to fuse two materials together permanently. |
| wetting |
The process of spreading an adhesive over a surface. Proper wetting occurs when the adhesive fills all crevices of the surface. |