Adhesive Accelerator and Other Chemicals Used with Adhesives

The use of adhesives alone may not be enough to achieve the results you want. This is why the adhesive accelerator and other chemicals are used in conjunction with the application of adhesives. These include primers, activators, initiators, surface conditioners, and more. It is the specific requirements of the application that will dictate the selection of which among these chemicals is the right one to use. In some situations, surfaces should be primed first while in other cases, activators must be required. Here are the details about these products to help guide your selection.

Primers

As the name implies, a primer is used first to coat the surface so that the adhesive or coating will bond to it more effectively. Using this product can substantially improve the ability of the adhesive to wet out the substrate. Primers come in various formulations so be careful to choose the one that particularly suits the adhesive you are using and the surface to bond.

Accelerators

When an adhesive accelerator is used to hasten the curing time, in many cases, there is a little tradeoff in the bond strength. When working with a highly porous material with super glue, accelerators used on the substrate can improve adhesion by hastening cure before the adhesive has been completely absorbed by the surface.

Surface Conditioners

This product is very helpful when working with anaerobic adhesives that cure through the presence of metal ions or when metal surfaces to be bonded are more reactive. It is particularly designed to help hasten the curing speed as well as facilitate curing even on non-metal surfaces. Same with the use of an adhesive accelerator, the application of a surface conditioner may impact bond strength.

Activators

Also known as catalysts, activators are utilized with two-component adhesives and must be selected and applied carefully.

Overall, you should know that not all applications need the use of those chemicals mentioned. However, the aid of each of them, depending on your specific application, would be very helpful if you want to achieve desirable results.