General Bonding & Sealing
High-Performance Marine Adhesives: Ensuring Strength, Durability, and Seamless Bonding
Adhesives are also used to bond superstructures, such as cabins and flybridges, to the main deck, ensuring a strong and seamless connection that can withstand marine conditions. These structural adhesives are specifically engineered to handle high mechanical loads while providing excellent fatigue resistance and durability in harsh maritime environments. Interior fixtures, including cabinetry, seating, and flooring, are bonded using adhesives to provide a clean and durable finish without the need for mechanical fasteners.
The versatility of modern marine adhesives allows them to effectively bond different materials commonly used in boat construction, including wood, metals, and various plastics like GRP and ABS, while maintaining structural integrity and aesthetic appeal. Additionally, these adhesive solutions offer superior vibration dampening properties and help reduce overall vessel weight compared to traditional mechanical fastening methods.
Requirements for Bonding Applications
Marine bonding adhesives must meet rigorous standards to ensure long-lasting performance and durability. These adhesives need to withstand continuous exposure to both saltwater and freshwater without deteriorating. UV resistance is critical to prevent weakening over time, while thermal stability ensures they perform reliably in extreme temperatures, from freezing cold to intense heat. Additionally, they must be flexible enough to absorb dynamic vessel movements while maintaining the toughness required to resist mechanical stress.
The Importance of Marine Sealants
Sealing applications in the marine industry are essential for maintaining the integrity and performance of yachts and boats. Sealants are used to prevent water ingress, protect against weathering, and ensure airtight and watertight seals in various parts of the vessel.
Exterior sealing is essential for protecting joints and seams from relentless marine exposure, offering resistance to saltwater, UV radiation, and extreme temperature shifts. Interior sealing safeguards critical areas like hatches, windows, and fittings, ensuring a secure, weatherproof, and comfortable onboard environment. Beyond waterproofing, advanced sealants are also used in flooring and acoustic damping, minimizing noise transmission and delivering a smooth, stable surface.
By leveraging cutting-edge sealing solutions, boatbuilders and marine professionals can enhance vessel longevity, safety, and onboard comfort—ensuring peak performance even in the most demanding maritime conditions.
Our Bonding & Sealing solutions for Marine Applications
Bostik’s Silyl-modified polymers (SMP) is a Silyl terminated polymers that are used to formulate one-component adhesive and sealants. It crosslinks in the presence of humidity. SMP adhesives were invented 40 years ago to bring together the best of polyurethane and silicone sealant technologies. They offer:
- Excellent adhesion, flexibility
- High resistance to UV and high moisture environments
- Free from solvent and isocyanate
Cyanoacrylate adhesives, also known as superglues, provide fast bonding and are used for small repairs and bonding applications where quick adhesion is needed. They offer:
- Instant adhesion with high bonding strength
- Excellent adhesion to metals
Frequently Asked Questions
A marine sealer is a specialized type of sealant designed to create waterproof, durable, and flexible bonds in marine environments—especially on boats and other watercraft.
Common Uses
- Sealing teak decks, hatches, and windows to prevent leaks.
- Bonding metal or fiberglass components exposed to water.
- Creating watertight seams below the waterline (with specialized formulations).
Sealing
To prevent the passage of substances like water, air, dust, or chemicals.
Bonding
To join two surfaces together permanently or semi-permanently.
Marine SMP sealant is used for sealing, bonding, and waterproofing in marine environments. It provides flexibility, moisture resistance, and durability, making it ideal for applications such as:
- Bonding deck hatches, portholes and bollards: Prevents leaks and water intrusion.
- Bonding and sealing deck fittings: Ensure strong adhesion to fiberglass, metal, and wood.
- Bonding push borders: Protects against saltwater exposure and harsh weather conditions.
Marine SMP sealants are designed to withstand UV rays, saltwater, and temperature fluctuations, ensuring long-lasting performance.
Bostik offers high-performance marine sealants designed for durability and water resistance. Some of their top solutions include:
- MSR Construction Adhesive: 1-component, permanently elastic, fast curing construction adhesive, based on Silyl Modified Polymer (SMP). MSR Construction Adhesive has been tested and certified to the International Maritime Organization Fire Test Procedures for Surface Flammability, resolution A.653 (16) and has been approved for use in wall, ceiling and floor applications.
- MSR CA Xtreme: high quality elastic adhesive/sealant based on Silyl Modified Polymers (SMP). It is suitable for use as an adhesive or sealant on structures in nautical applications. MSR CA Xtreme has excellent resistance to UV, weather and temperature, and exhibits excellent adhesion performance on a wide variety of substrates (minimal or no pre-treatment necessary)
Do you need an expert to select the best adhesive for marine industry, receive technical data sheet, or request samples?
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