Polyurethane adhesives, also known as PU adhesives, provide extremely strong and secure bonds. Polyurethanes cater to a wide variety of application requirements due to their sheer versatility and are used in numerous industries including automotive and electronics.
Available to purchase in both one and two component formulations, polyurethane adhesives can be altered to suit the user’s specifications. Part of the structural adhesive family, polyurethanes bring a whole host of advantages to bonding applications.
Read on to find out which characteristics make polyurethanes a popular choice…
Polyurethanes adhesives are truly versatile:
Polyurethanes can be used to bond a wide variety of materials, including those which are dissimilar. This includes metals, plastics, composites, wood and rubber. The ability to form strong bonds between these diverse materials is crucial to the longevity of the application.
Furthermore, polyurethanes are available in numerous different custom formulations to suit specific application requirements. Additional features include optical clarity, low odour, colour and cure times. The ability to adapt these characteristics makes polyurethanes a truly functional choice.
PU adhesives are extremely flexible:
Polyurethanes have very good elongation and recovery properties and can be used in applications which require a degree of flexibility. This makes them an excellent choice for bonding applications where the materials have different coefficients of expansion, or those with differing elongation properties when bearing high loads.
Design freedom is endless with polyurethanes:
Unlike mechanical fasteners, structural adhesives allow for the easy joining of complex shapes. They also allow for the bonding of dissimilar materials with ease. Due to these characteristics, polyurethanes are often used by manufacturers in light weighting applications. Polyurethanes provide smooth and invisible bond lines and do not take away from the aesthetic of the finished materials.
They also provide high strength bonds:
Polyurethanes can form a strong bond even before the adhesive has dried and sealed completely. This initial bond has enough strength that it does not require any form of clamps or fastening materials, making the manufacturing process much quicker and simpler.
These robust bonds make polyurethanes a highly effective choice in demanding applications. In addition to a strong bond, polyurethanes also provide a tight seal.
And are suitable even in harsh environments:
Polyurethane adhesives are resistant to temperature fluctuations and remain undamaged when exposed to high temperatures for prolonged periods of time. They are also available with varying degrees of chemical and heat resistance which ensure the material does not deteriorate in harsh conditions.
Our Best Selling Polyurethane Adhesives:
Robnor Resinlab EL420LV
|
3m 550
|
Robnor Resinlab EL171H
|
Lord 550
|
Shop our complete range of polyurethane adhesives here.
Additional links:
At Ellsworth Adhesives, we supply a wide range of polyurethane adhesives from leading brands Lord, 3M, Henkel Loctite, Robnor Resinlab and Permabond. View our entire range of polyurethane adhesives here.
Do you want more information about structural adhesives? Read our Quick Guide to Structural Adhesives here.
Not sure if polyurethanes adhesives are right for you? Our Glue Doctor is here to answer any technical questions you may have. Simply fill out our enquiry form.