Editorials - Getting Started - Omnexus 4 Adhesives

The Many Stakeholders in the Adhesives and Sealants Industry

There are a quite a few stakeholders in the adhesives and sealants industry. Today's editorial looks at some of the companies and groups that rely on these materials for their existence...
Wire Tacking

The addition of wires to printed circuit boards is a necessary evil in our fast changing design environment. Fast acting adhesive systems such as UV / light cured adhesive or hot melts provide a...
Thermally Conductive High Heat Electronic Adhesion

Various types of thermal interface materials (TIM) can be used to facilitate conductive high heat transfer across two adjacent plastic surfaces depending on the components on either side of the thermal joint as...
The Overlapping Functionality of Adhesives and Sealants

Adhesives and sealants often provide multiple functions for the end-user. These functions often overlap, blurring the boundaries between the two.
The All-Important Glass Transition Temperature

If one had to choose the most important physical parameter for an adhesive or sealant, it arguably would be glass transition temperature, Tg. Today's editorial reviews the glass transition temperatures and its...
Substrate Uniformity – An Often Overlooked Parameter

Often the substrate is assumed to be a constant – both as it is received from the supplier and as it ages in service. Actually, this is often far from the truth. Substrates change, and this is one of the more...
Warpage in Adhesive Joints

Edward M. PetrieThis editorial will look at the causes of warpage in adhesive joints and possible remedies. Warpage does not generally mean bond failure, but it could result in a part that is out of dimension or...
Adhesives - an Enabling Technology for the RFID Industry

The radio frequency identification (RFID) industry has developed significantly in recent years. Part of the fast development is due to the value provided by adhesives. In fact, without adhesives there probably...
When Teflon Becomes the Adhesive

This week's editorial considers Teflon, the well known non-stick surface. We look at the conundrum "if nothing sticks to Teflon than how does it stick to other surfaces"...
Controlling Stress in Adhesive Joints

This week's editorial looks at stresses that can occur within adhesive joints. They not only degrade the strength of the joint but also can actually cause fracture of certain substrates such as glass. The causes...
Adhesive Failure Analysis at the Big Dig

In this week's editorial a recent and very well publicized possible adhesive failure, Boston's Big Dig Project, is examined. Potential reasons for failures are identified. As with most accidents there may be a...
Problems With Fast Curing Adhesives

Cure-on-demand has become a buzz-word in assembly industries that are focused on reducing production time. This week's editorial takes a look at several basic problems associated with fast setting adhesive systems,...
Advances in Medical and Surgical Adhesives

As procedures and devices in the medical and surgical field have become increasingly more sophisticated, so too have the adhesives used in these applications. Recent developments in patient-applied adhesives are...
Reversible Adhesion

Why is it so difficult to design an adhesive to unbond? After all, if we are smart enough to glue something together at the molecular level, shouldn't we also be smart enough to get it apart? Today's editorial...
Back to the Future

This month's editorial takes a somewhat nostalgic look at certain historical adhesive applications and how their relevance survives today. Some technologies never die. You never know when the know-how developed in...
Heat Transfer 101 for Users of Adhesives

Heat transfer is important in many bonding processes. However, sometimes it is misunderstood when it comes to heat curing reactive adhesives. Today's editorial provides examples at what could go wrong if heat...
Adhesive Bonding - A Multi-Disciplined Technology

In this editorial we will look at one of the reasons that makes choosing an adhesive so difficult. Adhesive bonding is considered a multidisciplined technology – and one that is not generally taught in...
The Not-So-Sweet Smell of Success

Low odor is a sometimes overlooked criterion when selecting adhesives. Odor can also often be a forbearer of bad news – degradation of the adhesive. This week's editorial takes a look at the problem of odor, its...
Moisture Resistance 101

The week’s editorial is a short primer on the moisture resistance of adhesive joints. It examines the main degradation processes that are at work when an optimally prepared adhesive joint is exposed to a high...
The Seven Deadly Sins of Adhesive Bonding

This week's editorial looks at some of the widespread transgressions that occur when using adhesives or sealants. These deadly sins impact their effective use in manufacturing and can contribute to untold...
There is Nothing Like a Mentor

This week's editorial considers what kind of training program is appropriate for new hires in an adhesives company or in a company that is an end-user of adhesives. A strong mentor program provides optimal...
Uh-Oh, It's Hurricane Season Again!

It is hurricane time again, and these fierce storms provide a challenging environment for adhesives and sealants. Today's editorial takes a quick look at how some materials and testing standards help us prepare for...
New Beginnings

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Omnexus4Adhesives&Sealants. In this issue we introduce an editorial column by Edward Petrie one of our online experts. This column will periodically review current industry...
Accelerated Aging of Adhesives to Estimate Service Life

Predicting the service life of adhesives is a risky business. The most difficult problem ever put to an adhesive consultant is: "How long will the adhesive joint last?" This week's editorial discusses a process for...
Just How Clean is "Clean"

The measurement of "clean" bonding surfaces has always been a concern. This week's editorial, therefore, will wrestle with the question: "Just How Clean is "Clean"? ...
The Adhesion Society’s 27th Annual Meeting

In this week's editorial, we look at the 27th Annual Meeting of the Adhesion Society which took place February 15-18. The theme of this year's meeting is the technology required to bridge the gap between (1)...
The Adhesive Formulator - Challenges to the Max

The adhesive formulator has many challenges in meeting the demands of the market place, and many of the tools that the formulator had utilized in the past are no longer acceptable. These internal and external...
A Short History of Adhesives and Sealants

Development efforts supporting adhesives and sealants are directed to optimizing the manufacturing and assembly processes...
Adhesive Forensics

In this week's editorial, a simple relationship is shown regarding why adhesives have lower strengths than theoretically expected. This is also a good tool for the analyst who must determine why an adhesive bond...
And Now For Something Completely Different

This week's editorial looks at "disruptive technologies". These technologies are annoying and threatening to some and usually shunned by well-managed companies. However, they are often the cause of a corporation's...
Domesticated Adhesives

The market for household adhesives is expected to grow as do-it-yourself enthusiasts attack more projects. Unfortunately there is no all-purpose adhesive, and the user is often bewildered by an amazing variety of...
Life-Saving Cyanoacrylates In Surgery

Cyanoacrylate adhesives are commonly used to assemble medical devices because of the ease and speed at which they bond to a variety of different plastics commonly used in the medical industry. However, there is a...
Multitasking Adhesives

This week's editorial looks at the concept of multitasking. Not as we all have become to know (and possibly fear) it - as a mechanism for getting more work out in less time. But the editorial will look at...
Perception of hotmelt quality via odors and colors

When formulating hot-melts, formulators will begin by analysing "objective" requirements such as substrates to be bonded, ageing performances to be achieved or best rheological behavior to optimize...
Quality Control and the Adhesive Bonding Process

The adhesive bonding is a complex, multiple part process, complete with interacting and unexpected parameters that may contribute to bond failure. Thus, it is important that the quality control process consider the...
There are Various Shades of Green

In the featured article, we look at a possible new market for adhesives and sealants - alternative energy. This market is very much being driven by the need to be environmentally friendly. Being "green" is very...
The Ravages of the Environment

In this issue, there is an article on the resistance of adhesives and sealants to ultraviolet radiation . So, this may be a good time to discuss the effect of the environment on adhesive / sealant joints in general...
Interphase and Interface

This week's editorial looks at the difference between the "interphase" and the "interface" in an adhesive joint. There is a significant difference, and an understanding of the concept of interphase relative to the...
Robots Can be Demanding

Robots are being utilized more and more for applying adhesives and sealants. For success with robotic assembly, one must adapt parts and processes to the unique requirements of the robot. This week's editorial...
Substrate Surface Dynamics

Common questions are often raised concerning the time period during which a surface preparation process is effective. How long can one wait after surface preparation to apply the adhesive? What parameters affect...
The weakest link

"You are the weakest link! - Now Leave!" Just as the host of the popular game show unceremoniously boots out a failing contestant, the adhesive user must eradicate possible weak links on the substrate being bonded....
Trends in Adhesive Application Equipment for OEM Markets

Major OEM end-user requirements in the adhesives industry have been satisfied through the development of new formulations and by the advancement of new equipment. This week's editorial reviews some of the major...
Sealant Classifications

The methods by which sealants are classified are somewhat similar to adhesives, but specific methods of classification have been developed over the years within the sealant industry. These classification methods...
Is the Customer Always Right?

Sometimes research becomes short sighted either due to the economic environment or to concentration on current customers. Modern R&D management seems to be at times micro-managed, not allowing for a "surprise"...
Adhesives for Low Energy Surfaces

Low energy polymeric surfaces, such as polyethylene and fluorocarbons, are notoriously difficult to bond with adhesives. However, their bonding mechanisms are well established and represented by important theories...
An exciting start...

This column will review current industry trends, materials, and processes as well as provide technical advice regarding adhesives and sealants formulation and development. In the current column, we look at the...
UV / EB Curing Adhesives are Growing Rapidly

Radiation curing adhesives and sealants have become popular in recent years due to their environmental characteristics as well as their effect on the profit line. Significant development has removed many of the...
The Material Is Not Always the Culprit

In this SpecialChem4Adhesives editorial, we look at the source of most adhesive problems. Often it is the material that is blamed, but in fact it is most often poor training, poor workmanship, or the lack of...
Custom vs. Standard Formulations

This week's editorial looks at a dilemma often faced by both the formulator and the end-user. Should they rely on custom formulations or standard formulations for their needs? The answer can open up new business...
To Postcure or Not?

Most thermosetting adhesives, including epoxies, can be postcured. Postcure is achieved by exposing the adhesive to elevated temperatures after a room temperature cure. This generally provides a moderate...
Changing of the Colors

Usually color change is an unwanted property in adhesives and sealants. However, this week's editorial takes a glance at certain products that make valuable use of color change...
My Visit to JEC COMPOSITES Show, April 5 to 7 , 2005

This was again a very good show, which gathered more than 800 exhibitors and 23000 visitors from the whole world, mostly European and American but also a few from China and India, two important markets for...