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Chemically speaking, rubber-based adhesives are classified as elastomers.

At MAGPOW, a general principle of adhesion is that the best adhesives often contain a component of the materials they are bonding.

Thus, rubber-based adhesives, such as nitrile elastomers, work extremely well when bonding rubber to itself.

Another adhesive class includes thermoplastic glues, especially cellulosics, which bond well to rubber and have other desirable applications and properties suitable for the manufacturing and construction industries.

Polyamide epoxies have excellent bonding properties and durability when used for joining rubber parts.

The Advantages of Adhesive Bonding versus Mechanical Fasteners

Whether rubber materials are to be attached to other rubber materials or dissimilar materials, the advantages of using adhesives usually trumps mechanical fasteners for a number of reasons:

• Often, mechanical fasteners are insufficient on their own so adhesives are required anyway
• Product design is complicated by using mechanical fasteners as holes and bosses must be included
• Appearance of the product may be compromised by fasteners, whereas adhesives are invisible
• Fasteners create localized stresses on the adhesive, which undermines its capability

• Mechanical fasteners add cost

  Rubber-based Adhesives

  Rubber-based adhesives come in many flavours. Natural rubber latex and natural rubber solutions have been in use for several decades in the B2B industry.

  Nitrile synthetic rubber adhesive is widely used on natural and synthetic rubber materials.

  Several types of phenolic-based rubber adhesives work well with most types of rubber as do resin-rubber blended glues and some polyurethanes.

  Cyanoacrylates

  There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to bonding rubbers, as cyanoacrylates demonstrate.

  Cyanoacrylates are a type of cellulosic adhesive that is used for many applications, not only for rubber materials.

  They require no mixing and cure rapidly at room temperature. They come in an astounding array of special formulations to match almost any rubber bonding application.

  When toughened with rubber additives they boast high impact resistance and peel, shear and tensile strength.

  They can also be formulated to withstand high temperatures over extended time periods.

  Epoxies

  Epoxies are a type of thermoset polymer adhesive that form bonds between two components: the epoxy resin and its hardener.

  The addition of an optional third component, a chemical catalyst, is used to accelerate cure times.

  Though these adhesives require mixing and generally have long cure times, they bond well to rubbers and provide a tough and environmentally insensitive adhesion.

  Epoxies derive their exceptional strength from interchain hydrogen bonding, which is a special type of polymer crosslinking.

  The Importance of Surface Preparation

  Compared to other substrates, elastomeric materials such as rubber are more fluid, which can permit contaminants and other low molecular weight materials to migrate to the surface.

  These may create a boundary layer that weakens any subsequent adhesive bond.

  Furthermore, rubber-based materials typically exhibit low energy surfaces that prevent high adhesion.

  Thus, preparation of the rubber surface by abrasion, solvents or primers is essential to obtain strong bonds.

  Primer solutions are applied to one or both parts to be joined and then air or heat dried before applying adhesive.

  They are particularly useful when bonding unvulcanized rubber to itself or when bonding rubber to metal equipment & supplies.

  Rubber Bonding Solutions to Fit Your Application

  Despite the wide array of application processes, and service and environment requirements for end products, there is bound to be at least one adhesive, probably several, for any industrial or commercial rubber-to-rubber bonding need.

  Choosing one is a matter of weighing material and production costs along with durability, stress resistance and safety requirements.

  We can help you find the right adhesive for the job, no matter what industry you’re in. Give us a call today.