The use of adhesive can be seen everywhere in industrial production, but not all adhesive work can be solved with the same adhesive. Sealant and structural adhesive are the two most common types of adhesive, which are often confused due to their commonality. This time, we will take the products of LOCTITE, a leading industrial adhesive brand, as an example to interpret the differences between sealants and structural adhesives, in order to help business owners solve problems in a targeted manner.

Reinforcement bonding repair, choose LOCTITE structural adhesive

Compared with sealant, structural adhesive has a stronger bonding strength and can firmly and permanently bond the two materials together. Therefore, in industrial production, structural adhesive is often used for reinforcement, bonding, repair and other work of fasteners. Professional structural adhesive can also solve the drawbacks of traditional fastening methods such as bolts, which are bulky, time-consuming, costly, and difficult. To help everyone better understand the usage scenarios and methods of structural adhesives.

It is an industrial grade epoxy resin adhesive that can quickly cure and has high shear strength. It can be used for bonding substrates such as aluminum, ceramics, concrete, glass, metal, steel, stainless steel, wood, etc. It can function well at temperatures between -40 ° C and 120 ° C. The operation time is moderate and can cure at room temperature. After curing, a tough adhesive layer is formed, which has excellent peel resistance and shear strength, allowing the substrate to be permanently bonded together. At the same time, it can also withstand numerous chemicals and solvents, and even if the bonding surface accidentally comes into contact with chemical solvents, it will not affect the bonding effect. Moreover, it is an excellent electrical insulator, providing more safety assurance for the bonded substrate after use.

Filling gaps, sealant helps you solve problems

Compared with structural adhesive, sealant has the characteristics of elasticity and sealing, and is widely used for gap filling and other work. In industrial production, looseness and leakage can lead to production failures, thereby reducing production efficiency. Sealant can effectively fill flange or thread gaps, thereby preventing leakage and machine loosening, and protecting the factory from losses.

It is a flexible flange sealant. This is a flat sealant that can be used in the temperature range of -55 ° C to 150 ° C, suitable for substrates such as cast iron, steel, and aluminum flanges. Before use, clean and degrease the surface of the substrate with professional industrial cleaning agents, and then continuously apply flexible flange sealant on the surface of the substrate to easily complete the bonding work. After use, not only is the surface of the substrate clean and tidy, but the sealing effect is long-lasting and reliable, effectively preventing leakage.

Previously, a manufacturer of cast iron gearboxes and gearmotors used a regular liquid flat sealant on the flange of the adapter assembly, resulting in a leakage rate of up to 5%, causing the company to face multiple warranty claims. Meanwhile, due to the slow curing speed of the liquid flat sealant, the company's testing and production were delayed, resulting in significant losses.

Later, engineering solution experts recommended using the product for complete sealing to prevent leakage and showed the company team how to clean the flange surface by applying flat sealant. After assembly, the flat sealant successfully filled the gap between the flange surfaces and immediately underwent a pressure test of 40 psi. The flat sealant completely solves the manufacturer's warranty claims and production delays caused by frequent leaks.

Sealant can also be used for filling thread gaps. The gap between threads and metal components is the primary cause of machine loosening, and using thread sealant for sealing is an effective means of preventing loosening. Pipeline thread sealant is suitable for materials such as metal and stainless steel, and can withstand high temperatures of 200 ° C. Whether it is taper thread, American standard taper pipe thread, or straight thread, it can be filled to prevent leakage.

In addition to the above two types of sealants, there are other types of sealants to choose from, such as silicone sealant products L flat sealant and flange sealant, as well as polyurethane sealant products.