What Determines How a Marine Adhesive will Perform?

As adhesives play an important role in boat building, manufacturers should understand the following three key performance indicators to ensure a smart solution is chosen.

Viscosity

When a marine adhesive’s level of viscosity for a given application is insufficient, the product will “sag” when applied. This causes the following:

• Increased adhesive waste
• Additional production time
• Less precise application

To improve application accuracy and reduce waste, consider a product that offers smart viscosity formulation and doesn’t sag when applied, especially to vertical surfaces.

Elongation

A marine adhesive is likely to break and fail if it doesn’t possess enough elongation for an application. Elongation is an important quality for an adhesive to possess, as it determines the level of “give” when substrates expand or contract in different temperatures. Choosing a marine adhesive that offers high elongation and high impact resistance ensures quality performance even under stress.

Environmental Resistance

It’s also important for a marine adhesive to offer sufficient protection to the elements. If not, the boat may rust and corrode prematurely. In particular, the adhesive should possess resistance to:

• Humidity, including permanent immersion
• U.V. rays
• Other aggressive environments

Bostik offers strong and flexible marine adhesive solutions for a variety of applications. Able to bond to many dissimilar substrates, such as composites, plastics and metals, these high-performing products offer ideal viscosity levels, top tier elongation and excellent environmental resistance. For more information, call 800-7-BOSTIK.