Here, Ben Swanson, Chief Commercial Officer at Intertronics, shares an overview of this useful adhesive technology.
A structural adhesive is one that cures into a material capable of holding two or more substrates together, bearing the forces involved for the lifetime of the project, such as shock, vibration, chemical exposure, temperature fluctuations, or other destructive/weakening agents. Common structural adhesives are epoxies, PUs, UV curing adhesives, MMAs, and arguably cyanoacrylate adhesives.
What are MMAs?
MMAs are two-part reactive acrylic adhesives that include a resin and an activator. Mixing them together causes a free-radical reaction that enables fast curing at room temperature. Additives may include elastomeric tougheners and impact modifiers. They are typically available in two mix ratios, 1:1 and 10:1. The 1:1 adhesives generally have higher strength than the 10:1 products, but the 10:1 adhesives have higher elongation, and so more flexibility.
Read the full article in DPA's April issue