NEO CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

ADHESIVES
IN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Dr. S. Venkateswara Rao

Department of Civil Engg.,
National Institute of Technology, Warangal
 DEFINITION &COMPOSITION
 PART IN B&C INDUSTRY
 STRUCTURAL BONDING
 ADVANTAGES
 ADHESIVE TECHNOLOGY
 ADHESIVE FAMILY
 FAILURES OF ADHESIVE JOINTS
 DESIGN OF ADHESIVE JOINTS
 TESTING
 APPLICATIONS
 COST FACTORS
 DEFINITION &COMPOSITION
 A liquid or semi-liquid state that adheres
items together.
 (a) an acidic group-containing polymerizable
monomer;
 (b) a polymerizable monomer
 (c) a hydrophilic polymerizable monomer
Adhesives and Sealants in the B&C Industry

There are many applications in the building and construction

(B&C) industries for adhesives and sealants.
These materials are highly valued because:
1.they can be formulated to set outdoors in a relatively short
period of time.
2.they have good adhesion to a number of materials of
construction.
3.they provide relatively good weathering properties and
durability.
The major applications for adhesives and sealants in this market
are for on-site and manufactured residential housing,
commercial buildings, and infrastructure developments such as
roads, bridges, municipal facilities, etc.
Adhesives and sealants fall within the building and
construction industry as part of the much larger construction
chemicals market.

In addition to adhesives and sealants, construction chemicals

also include coatings, grouts, mortars, cement, asphalt
additives and polymer and wood flooring systems.

Next to protective coatings, adhesives and sealants make up the

largest part of the construction chemicals market.

Today's demands on buildings, roads, and infrastructure could

not be met without advances in construction chemicals that
include both adhesives and sealants. Adhesives and sealants are
used in the building and construction industry for applications,
both structural and decorative.
Building and construction represents a very large market for
adhesives and sealants.
More than 50% of these products sold in construction are:
1.thermoplastic,
2.water-based systems because the major substrate used is wood
or other porous
3. substrates (e.g., concrete, masonry).

Often the adhesive or sealant must have a convenient mix ratio

and cure capabilities at ambient temperatures as low as 0°C.

The cure rate should be fast to avoid environmental effects such

as rain, dust, or other contaminants.

The adhesive or sealant must be compatible with a wide variety

of substrates.
The adhesive or sealant may require "indoor" properties such as
low toxicity or "outdoor" properties such as moisture and UV
resistance.

Coloring and appearance is important in many applications.

Flexibility and elongation is often necessary because of thermal

expansion differences due to different substrates and seasonal
and daily temperature variations.

There is a shift to high performing adhesives and sealants,

which are most often 100% solids and reactive systems.

The reason for this change comes mainly from new regulations
regarding construction resistant to hurricanes, earthquakes,
water, mold growth, and so forth.
 STRUCTURAL BONDING
 Forces in a structure may be transmitted from
one member to another through the joint.
 Taken up by the adhesive transmitted to the
next member
 ADVANTAGES
 Dissimilar materials can be joined
 The bond can be made continuous
 Stronger and stiffer structures can be designed;
 On loading there is a more uniform stress
distribution
 Local stress concentrations are avoided
 Porous materials can be bonded;
 Adhesives prevent catalytic corrosion
 ADHESIVE TECHNOLOGY
The building and construction industry uses several types of
adhesives and sealants. These can be classified by their
application and setting methods, and they have traditionally
included the following:
Solvent-based: applied as a solvent solution and converted to
an adhesive when the solvent evaporates.

Water-based: applied as an emulsion and converted to an

adhesive when the water evaporates.

Reactive: applied as a one- or two-component liquid and

converted to an adhesive through cross linking.

Hot melt: applied as a molten film and converted to an solid

when the molten material gels.
The advantages and disadvantages of each technology are summarized
Sealants are related to adhesives, but their primary function is
to prevent the flow of liquid or air.

Similar to adhesives, they are applied as either a solvent-based,

water-based, hot melt, or reactive high viscosity mastic and
converted to an elastomeric sealant through the processes
described above.

Sealants differ from adhesives in that they:

1.are capable of filling large gaps

2.have a higher degree of elongation and movement capability.
3.have relatively low tensile and creep strength.
 ADHESIVE FAMILY
 Adhesive systems are often classified
according to the chemical family of the base
polymer that is used in the formulation.

 Although this helps to generally identify the

curing and final properties of an adhesive, if
certainly does not define the adhesive as
suitable for a particular application.
ADHESIVE FAMILIES
Epoxy:

Epoxy based adhesives are thermosetting polymers that are

used for structural applications because of their:
strength,
resistance to creep,
toughness,
weather resistance.
They bond well to most high-energy substrates.

They have no evolution of volatiles on cure and are useful in

gap-filling applications.

Epoxies are more commonly used as adhesives than sealants

because of their stiffness.
Drawbacks to the use of epoxy resins in the building and
construction industry include the danger of dermatitis from
handling certain hardeners, the inconvenience of two-part
systems, and the relatively high cost.

Two-component systems are necessary for ambient temperature

cures. Depending on the hardener employed, epoxies can be
relatively slow curing especially at low temperatures. Common
forms in this industry include liquid and paste.

Base polymers consist of several common types of resins

ranging from low viscosity liquids to solids.
Epoxy resins are often blended with other resins (modifiers) to
improve certain properties (e.g., blends with polysulfide resins
improve elongation).

Secondary ingredients in epoxy formulations include reactive

diluents to adjust viscosity; mineral fillers to lower cost, adjust
viscosity, or modify thermal expansion; and fibrous fillers to
improve thixotropy and cohesive strength.
Acrylic / Acrylate
Acrylic adhesives are thermoplastic systems generally used for
non-structural applications. They are often used as pressure
sensitive or contact adhesives.
1. medium water resistance,
2. good resistance to oil and thermal shock,
3. poor resistance to organic solvents
4.temperature resistance varies with the nature of the base
polymer
5. excellent outdoor weathering and aging characteristics.

In the building and construction industry, acrylic adhesives are

generally used as solvent solutions or more commonly as
water-based emulsions. However, mixtures can also be cross
linked by catalyst, heat, or UV light.
Acrylic resins are also used in plasticized latex sealants. The
main advantages of acrylic adhesives in this industry are their
nonflammability when used in emulsion form (latex) and their
ease of application.
The primary applications for acrylic adhesives and sealants in
the building and construction industry are:
concrete,
facade,
floor covering,
laminates,
non-structural,
paneling,
wall covering
Formaldehyde and Phenolic Adhesives
Urea formaldehyde and melamine formaldehyde resins are
generally used in the building and construction industry as:
binders for fibrous substrates.
contact adhesives for substrates such as decorative laminates.

They are usually supplied in powder form and reconstituted

with water; a hardener or catalyst is added at the time of use.

Melamine based adhesives require elevated temperature cures;

urea based resins can be cured at room temperature.
Urea formaldehyde resins have good acceptance as adhesive for
wood products because of their low cost. Melamine
formaldehyde adhesives are generally employed as laminating
resins and as modifiers for urea resin adhesives for improving
water or outdoor weathering resistance.
Their main advantages are:
initial water solubility,
self-extinguishing characteristics,
low cost.

Major applications for this type of adhesive in the building and

construction industry include laminates and paneling.

However the largest application of phenol resin adhesives and

binders is in the manufacturing of wood composites including
Polyvinyl Acetate Emulsions
Polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) is one of the most versatile of vinyl
resin containing adhesives.
They are commonly available as emulsions. This adhesive is
perhaps best noted as the common household "white glue". The
emulsion is generally stabilized with a few percent of polyvinyl
alcohol.
Resistance to most solvents and moisture is low although these
adhesives will withstand contact with grease, oils, and
petroleum fluids. The cured films soften at temperatures
approaching 45°C.
PVAc adhesives are commonly used for bonding wood and as a
base for grouting and joint compounds. Their applications in
building and construction mainly are interior applications such as
structural assembly of wood articles and joint cementing and
grouting.
Vinyl Acetate Ethylene (VAE) Emulsions
Vinyl acetate ethylene copolymers in which the ethylene
content is less than 40% by weight are often used as emulsion
adhesives.
The copolymerization of vinyl acetate with ethylene provides
the opportunity for the formulator to produce an emulsion in
which the dispersed resin may have any flexibility by simply
changing the ratio of vinyl acetate to ethylene in the
copolymer composition.
VAE emulsions are generally used for laminating PVC and
other films, furniture woodworking, and textile bonding. They
are generally used indoors and for nonstructural applications
where creep is not a problem. They are similar to polyvinyl
acetate (PVAc) adhesive except the high ethylene
concentration contributes to increased flexibility and
enhanced adhesion to low energy surfaces.
Polyvinyl Alcohol
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) is a water-soluble thermoplastic
synthetic resin that is supplied generally as a formulated water
solution for the bonding of porous materials. PVOH adhesives
generally have:

Very good wet tack properties for laminating.

Sufficient water resistance for most interior applications.
Excellent resistance to grease and oil.

Polyvinyl alcohol adhesives are commonly used for non-

structural applications such as laminating and bonding or
binding of porous materials (e.g., glass fiber insulation).
Polyurethane
Like epoxy adhesives, polyurethane adhesives are
thermosetting and can be used in structural applications.
However, because of their toughness and high degree of
elongation, polyurethanes are also often used in sealant
formulations. Polyurethane adhesives or sealants can be one- or
two-component systems and either solvent-free or solvent
containing. The one-component systems cure by reacting with
moisture in the air. Polyurethanes are noted for:

their good adhesion to a variety of substrates;

good chemical resistance to oils and solvents
their tough, flexible bonds
very good low temperature properties.
Natural and Synthetic Rubbers
Several types of elastomeric resins are used as adhesives and
sealants in the building and construction industry.

These are generally available as solvent-based mastics or

liquids. Some are used as two-component, cross linked systems.

Applications of elastomeric based polymers include: concrete,

facade, floor covering, general caulking and sealing, joint
cementing and grouting, laminates, non-structural, roofing,
sewage and pipe, and structural glazing
FAILURES OF ADHESIVE JOINTS
MODES OF FAILURES
 DESIGN OF ADHESIVE JOINTS

Depending on the concepts like on a model

 FRACTURE MECHANICS
 STRESS CONCENTRATION
 STRAIN ENERGY
 TESTING OF RESISTANCE
 Double cantilever beam tests (DCB)
 Peel tests
 Wedge tests
 Mixed-mode delaminating beam tests (MMDB)
 Crack lap shear tests (CLS)
 APPLICATIONS
 Ceilings
 Floor Coverings
 Concrete
 Façade
 laminates
 Structural Assembly Applications
 Non-Structural Applications
 Structural Glazing
 Roofing
CEILING
FLOOR COVERING
STRUCTURAL ASSEMBLY
NON STRUCTURAL
STRUCTURAL GLAZING
ROOFING
 LIMITATIONS
 Not as strong as metals;
 Short term handleability is poor;
 Bonded structures are usually difficult to
dismantle for in service repair;
 Need to prepare the surface;
 Environmental resistance depends on the integrity
of the adhesive;
 Unfamiliar process controls;
 Health and safety responsibility
 COST FACTORS
Set-up time
Adhesive application time
Load/Unload time
Bonding time
Curing time
Materials cost
Direct labor rates
Overhead rates
 CONCLUSION

Adhesives have now been developed which

clearly demonstrate the contribution they can
make to the work of the structural engineer.
THANK YOU