Two-part epoxy adhesives range in performance from rigid to flexible, including some toughened formulations designed for fatigue resistance. Like one-part epoxy adhesives, they are resistant to extremes of heat, cold, humidity, many solvents and other conditions. Different formulations of two-part epoxies deliver different performance for your applications:
Epoxies have the greatest strength and durability of all structural adhesives
Epoxies have the greatest strength and durability of all structural adhesives
Structural adhesives bond dissimilar materials and also provide insulation to resist corrosion when bonding two different metals
Structural adhesives bond dissimilar materials and also provide insulation to resist corrosion when bonding two different metals
Different chemistries provide a variety of surface preparation, open time and strength-build times so you can find the best options for your process
Different chemistries provide a variety of surface preparation, open time and strength-build times so you can find the best options for your process
Epoxy bonds have exceptional resistance to shock, vibration and impact loads
Epoxy bonds have exceptional resistance to shock, vibration and impact loads
Adhering to new materials and distributing stress along the entire bond area helps designers use thinner and lighter materials
Adhering to new materials and distributing stress along the entire bond area helps designers use thinner and lighter materials
Vibration resistance reduces opportunities for unwanted noise
Vibration resistance reduces opportunities for unwanted noise
Structural adhesives provide better product appearance through invisible joints and smooth bond lines
Structural adhesives provide better product appearance through invisible joints and smooth bond lines
Structural adhesives provide a continuous bond line to prevent the migration of fluids, dust and dirt
Structural adhesives provide a continuous bond line to prevent the migration of fluids, dust and dirt
The ability of structural adhesives to bond a wide variety of substrates allows the freedom to design for the best materials available
The ability of structural adhesives to bond a wide variety of substrates allows the freedom to design for the best materials available
This paper discusses some of the advantages of adhesives and reasons industrial assembly businesses are looking to them as a replacement for some or all mechanical fasteners. In addition to describing the main types of structural adhesives it provides a brief history of epoxy adhesives and discusses adhesive selection, joint configuration, surface preparation and processing considerations as well as joint testing and common failure modes.
3M offers rigid, flexible and toughened two-part epoxies to meet the different extremes customers need to overcome. Explore more options to find one that suits your needs.
Find written and video responses to structural adhesives FAQs.
Need help finding the right product for your project? Contact us if you need product, technical or application advice or want to collaborate with a 3M technical specialist, or give us a call at 0870 608 0050.
Need help finding the right product for your project? Contact us if you need product, technical or application advice or want to collaborate with a 3M technical specialist, or give us a call at 0870 608 0050.