Help with Pressure Sensitive Adhesives (PSA) and Contact Adhesives specifications:
Chemical / Polymer System Type
Back to Top
![]() |
![]() | ||
Chemical / Polymer System Type | |||
Your choices are... | |||
Rubber Based / Elastomeric | Elastomers and rubber materials are characterized by their high degree of flexibility and elasticity (high reversible elongation). Natural rubber, synthetic rubber, or elastomer sealants and adhesives can be based on a variety of systems such silicone, polyurethane, chloroprene, butyl, polybutadiene, isoprene, or neoprene. | ||
Silicone | Plastic compounds, elastomer resins, or polymers are based on the silicone chemical system. Silicones are produced through the hydrolysis and polymerization of silanes and siloxanes. | ||
Starch | Starches and starch pastes are derived from flours or vegetable matter. Starches are useful additive materials for thickening and other functions. Pastes are commonly applied in light-duty adhesive applications on paper products such as envelopes, stamps, labels, or paper packing tapes. Starch-based pastes are low cost, non-toxic, and water-activated. In their dry state, water-activated adhesives are not sticky, but upon wetting become adhesive. | ||
Vinyl (PVC) | Polymers are based on the vinyl chemical system. Examples include polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDF), polyvinyl vinyl acetate (PVA), and polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH). | ||
Wax Based | Sealants or binders are based on a wax compound. Wax binders are commonly used to bind ceramic or metal powder during compaction processes because wax binders lubricate and burn-off thoroughly. The original hot-melt compounds were based on paraffin waxes. | ||
Specialty / Other | Other specialty, proprietary, or unlisted resins, chemical systems or compound or polymer types. | ||
Glue / Gum | Animal glues include hide glues, casein or milk protein glues, and fish-based glues. Hide glues are produced by hydrolysis or by boiling collagen, protein, or gelatin from animal bones, hide, hooves, or horns. Collagen, hide glue, and gelatin are very closely related in terms of protein and chemical composition. Casein-based adhesives (carpenter's glues) are derived from milk. Vegetable glues are made from plant-based proteins or modified starches. Soy protein glues are finding increased application. Gum adhesives or mucilage are based on polysaccharides derived from various plant exudates such as an oleoresin or gum resin. Gum adhesives are gelatinous when moist and harden after drying. Gum adhesives are the salts of complex organic acids. Mucilage contains proteins and polysaccharides and is similar to vegetable plant-gum adhesives. Mucilage is a gelatinous substance extracted from legumes and seaweeds. | ||
Acrylic / Polyacrylate | Acrylics feature excellent environmental resistance and fast-setting times. Acrylic polymers are produced from acrylic acids via a catalytic reaction. | ||
Search Logic: | All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches. | ||
![]() |
Substrate / Material Compatibility
Back to Top
![]() |
![]() | ||
Your choices are... | |||
Ceramic / Glass | Ceramics consist of oxides, carbides, nitrides, and other non-metals with high melting points. Ceramics are suitable for applications requiring wear resistance, thermal stability, and electrical resistivity. | ||
Concrete / Masonry | Concrete and cements consist of a mixture of a binder or clinker and a coarser aggregate. They are used to patch or line floors and walls, bond brick, and join components for use in high-temperature applications. Clinker is a fused mineral or mineral mixture, such as alumina, bauxite, or lime, which is crushed into a fine powder. Aggregates are coarser, granular materials that are added to mortar, grout, or cement at mixing time to impart special properties such as thermal stability, wear resistance and oxidation resistance. Synthetic aggregates are fused mineral or mineral mixtures crushed to a coarse, granular size range rather than a fine, powdered clinker. Portland cement is the most common bond used in structural concretes and mortars. Polymer cements have a resin bond and are used in corrosion protection, mortars for corrosion-resistant floor tiles, and other specialized industrial applications. Masonry consists of tile, bricks, stone, or other ceramic components that are bonded together with mortar or adhesive. | ||
Composites | Composite materials consist of a resin (suitable for molding) and a matrix (typically fibers or textile material) which serves to enhance strength, alter electrical or magnetic properties, or enhance wear resistance. | ||
Metal | Metals are opaque, fusible, ductile, and typically lustrous substances that are good conductors of heat and electricity. They form cations by the loss of electrons and yield basic oxides and hydroxides. Metals that are used in structural engineering applications have a high toughness that is a combination of high strength and ductility. | ||
Paper / Paperboard | Paper or paperboard products are produced from a pulp of cellulose, cotton, wood, or other vegetable fibers. The pulp is laid down on a fine screen from a water suspension to form sheets that are dried and further processed. | ||
Plastic | Plastics are organic, synthetic, or processed materials that are mostly thermoplastic or thermosetting polymers of high molecular weight. They can be made into objects, films, or filaments. | ||
Porous Surfaces | Substances are adhesives or sealants with a high viscosity or gel-like consistency. Typically, these materials have the ability to work with porous surfaces. | ||
Rubber / Elastomer | Rubber and elastomers are characterized by a high degree of flexibility and elasticity (high reversible elongation). Natural or synthetic rubber is vulcanized to increase useful properties such as toughness and resistance to wear for use in tires, electrical insulation, and waterproof materials. Vulcanization is a chemical treatment that adds sulfur and heat to crosslink the rubber. Natural rubber is an elastic substance that is obtained by coagulating the milky juice of any of various tropical plants. Essentially, natural rubber is a polymer of isoprene, and is prepared as sheets and then dried. Synthetic rubbers or elastomers can be based on a variety of systems such as silicone, polyurethane or neoprene. | ||
Textiles / Fabrics | Substances are adhesives or sealants suitable for coating, filling, sizing, or sealing non-woven or woven textiles. Sizing adhesives or resins are used to fill paper, textile webs, and other fibrous products. | ||
Wood / Wood Product | Wood is a natural composite extracted from the stems, branches, and roots of trees. It is a hard, fibrous substance that consists of xylem, cellulose fibers in an amorphous, lignin polymer matrix. Lignin is a biogenetic cross linked polymer which bonds together adjacent cell walls into a straw or wood tissue composite. Cellulose is a polysaccharide (C6H10O5)x of glucose units that constitutes the chief part of the cell walls of plants. It occurs naturally in fibrous products such as cotton and kapok, and is the raw material of many manufactured goods as paper, rayon, and cellophane. | ||
Other | Other unlisted, specialty, or proprietary substrates. | ||
Search Logic: | All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches. | ||
![]() | |||
Dissimilar Substrates? | Adhesive or sealant systems can bond dissimilar substrates, such as metal to rubber. | ||
Search Logic: | "Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice. | ||
![]() |
Industry / Applications
Back to Top
![]() |
![]() | ||
Industry / Applications | |||
Your choices are... | |||
Aerospace | Products are designed for aerospace applications. For example, they can be used to bond composite structures to other composite or metallic frame components. | ||
Automotive | Products are designed for automotive applications. For example, they can be used to bond panels and seal windows. | ||
Electronics | Products are designed for use in electronics applications. For example, they can be used in potting or encapsulating compounds, conductive adhesives, and dielectric sealants. | ||
Electrical Power / HV | Products are resins, compounds, and plastic composites that are suitable for electrical power or high voltage (HV) applications such as generator or motor assemblies, coil or transformer manufacturing, and switch or circuit breaker insulation. | ||
Marine | Products are designed for marine applications. They can be immersed in water and can withstand exposure to marine atmospheres. | ||
Medical / Food (Sanitary / FDA) | Products are suitable for medical or food-contact applications. Typically, they they comply with requirements from regulatory agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Science Foundation (NSF), 3A-Dairy, Canada AG, or USP Class VI. | ||
Military / Government (MIL-SPEC / GG) | Products adhere to U.S. military specifications (MIL-SPEC). | ||
OEM / Industrial | Products are designed for use by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for the assembly, sealing, or fabrication of products. | ||
Optical Grade / Material | Polymers or elastomers are designed for optical or photonics applications. Examples include transparent polycarbonate or acrylic lens materials. | ||
Photonics / Optoelectronics | Products are designed for optoelectronics or photonics applications. Examples include cements for bonding simple lenses into compound structures. | ||
Building / Construction | Products are designed for use by construction contractors and in maintenance, repair, and operation (MRO) applications. Construction materials include wood, wood products, glass, cement products (mortar, concrete, masonry), plaster board, metal trim, flooring tile, sub-floor or underlayment, plaster board, sheet metal roofing or flash, metal ties, insulation materials (fiberglass, foam), and bitumen-based roofing materials. | ||
Tooling / Mold Material | Products are designed for tooling or mold fabrication such as polyurethane shapes or castable silicones. | ||
Other | Other unlisted industries. | ||
Search Logic: | All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches. | ||
![]() |
Features
Back to Top
![]() |
![]() | ||
Features | |||
Your choices are... | |||
Filled | Filled compounds consist of adhesives with additional modifiers such as pigments or chopped fiber reinforcements. Typically, filled compounds are ready-to-use. | ||
Flame Retardant (e.g. UL 94 Rated) | The material is flame retardant in accordance with industry standards from Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL), Flame Class 94, or other ISO standards. Flame-retardant materials are designed to reduce the spread of flame or resist ignition when exposed to high temperatures. They also insulate the substrate and delay damage to it. | ||
Flexible / Dampening | Products are designed to provide flexibility or dampening of sound, vibration, or shock in suitable applications. Flexible adhesives or sealants form a layer that can bend or flex without cracking or delaminating. | ||
Non-corrosive Cure | Silicone or reactive systems use a non-corrosive cure system such as a metal or oxime catalyst. | ||
Solvent Based (Volatile Organic) | Solvent-based adhesive resins use a volatile organic solvent (VOC) to thin or alter viscosity. Typically, solvent-based adhesive resins result in greater environmental or regulatory control problems. Solvents can also present a fire hazard or a risk of explosion, depending on the plant or job site. | ||
UL Approved | The material is approved to or recognized under one or more requirements of Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL). | ||
Water Based / Latex Dispersion | Water-based or water-borne adhesive resins are water soluble or water emulsion-based resin systems that typically do not contain any VOC solvents. Water-based adhesive resins usually present fewer environmental or regulatory control problems. | ||
Search Logic: | All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches. | ||
![]() |
Processing & Physical Properties
Back to Top
![]() |
![]() | ||
Applied Thickness / Gap Fill | Products are applied at a particular functional surface thickness or between two surfaces (the 'gap fill' thickness) to ensure performance criteria, such as strength, electrical resistance, etc., are met. | ||
Search Logic: | User may specify either, both, or neither of the "At Least" and "No More Than" values. Products returned as matches will meet all specified criteria. | ||
![]() | |||
Viscosity | Viscosity is a measurement of a fluid's resistance to flow. Water is lower in viscosity than motor oil or honey. Oil is lower in viscosity than tar or molasses. Depending on the application method, viscosity determines how well a resin fills the cavities or voids in a mold. | ||
Search Logic: | User may specify either, both, or neither of the "At Least" and "No More Than" values. Products returned as matches will meet all specified criteria. | ||
![]() |
Thermal Properties
Back to Top
![]() |
![]() | ||
Use Temperature | Use temperature is the range of temperatures a product can be exposed to without the degradation of structural or other required end-use properties. | ||
Search Logic: | User may specify either, both, or neither of the "At Least" and "No More Than" values. Products returned as matches will meet all specified criteria. | ||
![]() | |||
Thermal Conductivity | Thermal conductivity is the linear heat transfer per unit area through a material for a given applied temperature gradient. Heat flux (h) = [thermal conductivity (k) ] x [temperature gradient (Δ T)] | ||
Search Logic: | User may specify either, both, or neither of the "At Least" and "No More Than" values. Products returned as matches will meet all specified criteria. | ||
![]() | |||
Coeff. of Thermal Expansion (CTE) | Coefficient of linear expansion (CFE) is the amount of linear expansion or shrinkage that occurs in a material with a change in temperature. | ||
Search Logic: | User may specify either, both, or neither of the "At Least" and "No More Than" values. Products returned as matches will meet all specified criteria. | ||
![]() |
Mechanical Properties
Back to Top
![]() |
![]() | ||
Tensile Strength (Break) | Tensile strength at break is the maximum amount of stress required to break the material under tension-loading test conditions, or to cause failure. Typically, tensile tests are performed according to test procedure standards such as ASTM D-638 or ISO 527-1, ASTM D-1708, ASTM D-2289 (plastics at high strain rates), and ASTM D-882 (thin plastic sheets), as well as other OEM proprietary standards. | ||
Search Logic: | User may specify either, both, or neither of the "At Least" and "No More Than" values. Products returned as matches will meet all specified criteria. | ||
![]() | |||
Elongation | Elongation is the amount of deformation as a percentage that occurs during a tensile test or other mechanical test. | ||
Search Logic: | User may specify either, both, or neither of the "At Least" and "No More Than" values. Products returned as matches will meet all specified criteria. | ||
![]() |
Electrical & Optical Properties
Back to Top
![]() |
![]() | ||
Dielectric Strength | Dielectric strength is the maximum voltage field that the material can withstand before electrical breakdown occurs. | ||
Search Logic: | User may specify either, both, or neither of the "At Least" and "No More Than" values. Products returned as matches will meet all specified criteria. | ||
![]() | |||
Dielectric Constant (Relative Permittivity) | The dielectric constant is the relative permittivity of a material compared to a vacuum or free space. As an equation, it is expressed as k = εr = ε / εo= where ε is the absolute permittivity of the material and εo is the absolute permittivity of a vacuum 8.85 x 10-12 F/m. | ||
Search Logic: | User may specify either, both, or neither of the "At Least" and "No More Than" values. Products returned as matches will meet all specified criteria. | ||
![]() | |||
Index of Refraction | The index of refraction is a measure of the speed of light in a material. | ||
Search Logic: | User may specify either, both, or neither of the "At Least" and "No More Than" values. Products returned as matches will meet all specified criteria. | ||
![]() | |||
Transmission | This is the amount of light transmitted through a material. | ||
Search Logic: | User may specify either, both, or neither of the "At Least" and "No More Than" values. Products returned as matches will meet all specified criteria. | ||
![]() |