3M scotch-weld low odour acrylic adhesives offer significant advantages over conventional high-odour acrylics while enhancing performance and productivity. Dr. Ratheesh Kumar P M, Technical Manager – Industrial Adhesives and Tapes Division, 3M India Ltd. explains.
Many performance and economic drivers are causing customers to consider and use structural adhesives in replacing traditional joining methods—including weight and energy savings, labour cost reductions, aesthetics improvements, and the rise in the use of composites and other materials which are not amenable to traditional bonding methods. Adhesives have developed to the point where they are suitable alternatives for these traditional joining methods for many applications including fabrication of metal panels such as doors and elevators, agricultural equipment, bus, truck and rail panel attachment, and others.
A variety of structural adhesive chemistries are available in the market. These range from cyanoacrylate single component instant adhesives. Two-part urethanes cure upon mixing and provide relatively good impact resistance and peel strength. Two-part epoxies have good vibration and environmental resistance and also provide very high structural strength. Two-component acrylics, again cures upon mixing, offer very high structural strength even at high temperature. Acrylic adhesives in general offer very good adhesive strength on low surface energy materials like plastics. However the users of conventional acrylic adhesives know that these products typically raise inconvenient issues with odour, set times, impact resistance and storage requirements.
3M introduces 3M scotch-weld low odour acrylic adhesives which are designed to solve these challenges while enhancing performance and productivity. These next-generation structural acrylic adhesives provide remarkable improvements over conventional high-odour acrylics with significant benefits cost savings, and health and safety concerns.
3M scotch-weld low odour acrylic adhesives offer an incredibly fast cure rate, reaching structural strength in less than 10 minutes—just half the time of ordinary acrylic adhesives. 3M acrylic adhesives also have higher impact resistance on plastics and metals. The new adhesives additionally provide excellent shear and peel performance, and improved adhesion to many plastics and metals, expanding the range of applications for which acrylic adhesives can be used. The new adhesives are uniquely formulated compared to conventional acrylic adhesives, helping to reduce pungent odours and ease health and safety concerns. They are also non-flammable, making them even more facility friendly. With an extended 18-month shelf life and no refrigeration required; 3M scotch-weld low odour acrylic adhesives provide more than double the shelf life of conventional acrylic adhesives and can be stored at lower costs.
With applications in a broad range of industries including transportation, metal working, plastics or composites, and sign manufacturing, 3M scotch-weld low odour acrylic adhesives can bring benefits to workers and processes.
Authored by_Dr. Ratheesh Kumar P M, Technical Manager – Industrial Adhesives and Tapes Division, 3M India Ltd.