Adhesives and sealants
The power of Sartomer® acrylates and methacrylates in adhesive formulations
Acrylates and methacrylates are both commonly used in adhesives and sealants formulations, but there are specific scenarios where one may be preferred over the other based on their properties and characteristics.
| Advantages | Acrylates | Methacrylates |
|---|---|---|
| Flexibility & Elongation | Higher flexibility and elongation, suitable for applications requiring movement or impact resistance. | Generally less flexible but offer higher rigidity and stiffness, ideal for load-bearing and structural applications. |
| Cure Time | Faster curing times, providing quicker initial bond strength and full cure | Typically slower curing compared to acrylates, but can achieve high bond strength over time. |
| Odor | Generally lower odor levels, making them suitable for applications with odor sensitivity. | Some methacrylates may have stronger odors, which may be a consideration for certain applications. |
| Chemical Resistance | Moderate chemical resistance. | Excellent chemical resistance, ideal for applications exposed to harsh chemicals or solvents. |
| Heat Resistance | Moderate heat resistance. | Superior thermal resistance, maintaining bond strength at high temperatures. |
| Transparency and Clarity | Generally good transparency and clarity. | Excellent optical properties, offering high transparency and clarity. |
| UV Resistance | Moderate UV resistance | Better UV resistance, minimizing yellowing or degradation when exposed to sunlight or UV radiation. |
| Gap-Filling Capability | Suitable for smaller gaps and smoother surfaces. | Better gap-filling capability, capable of bonding materials with larger gaps or uneven surfaces. |
Radiation-curable adhesives
Radiation-curable adhesives cure almost instantly when exposed to UV, enabling a higher throughput and reduced assembly time. This curing method also provides a precise control over the polymerization process, allowing for accurate positioning of substrates prior to curing. UV-cured adhesives are solvent-free formulations, hence resulting in low-VOC emissions.
The bonds generated are strong and durable, with excellent properties to various substrates including flexible and rigid plastics, glass, metals and metallized films, paper, and composites. Finally, they offer a high versatility of performance, from flexible to rigid or transparent adhesives. Sartomer® solutions are compatible with UV, UV-LED, excimer, and EB radiation curing for (meth)acrylate, cationic epoxy, cyanoacrylate, or hybrid-based resins.
Serving the most demanding applications in electronics, industry, automotive or packaging, our large range of products can assist in many types of adhesives:
- Laminating adhesives
- Liquid optical clear adhesives (LOCA)
- Pressure sensitive adhesives (PSA)
- Electrically conductive adhesives (ECA)
- Hot melt adhesives
- Cyanoacrylate instant adhesives
Anaerobic adhesives
By formulating acrylates or methacrylates in anaerobic adhesives, you can achieve reliable and strong bonds between metal parts. The rapid curing, low viscosity, high bond strength, and chemical resistance properties of (meth)acrylates contribute to the effectiveness and versatility of anaerobic adhesives in various industrial applications:
- Thread locking
- Thread sealing
- Gasketing
- Retaining compounds
Structural adhesives
Optimize the performance of your structural adhesive with the use of our comprehensive portfolio of acrylate, methacrylate and additive solutions:
- UV-cured adhesives: for fast and controlled curing, high bonding strength and compatibility with various substrates
- Two component acrylic adhesives: for high impact resistance, environmental durability and good bonding strength
- Methacrylate adhesives: for high toughness and excellent chemical resistance. We offer low odor alternative solutions to MMA (Methyl Methacrylic Acid) based systems, trough our monomer range.
- Unsaturated Polyester Resins (UPR): methacrylate reactive diluents as styrene replacement for a better safety profile of the formulation.
- 2K epoxy/amine systems: For increased toughness and flexibility, increased substrate wetting, controlled curing and lower shrinkage.
Work with our regional expert teams on your product selection for your specific performance needs.
Download our adhesives brochure
UV-Curable Liquid Resins and Additives for Adhesives
Sartomer® specialty acrylates, methacrylates and additives are used in adhesive systems to achieve high-performance properties, including adhesion, viscosity control, cure speed and cure temperature. Our wide range of solutions enable you to meet and improve the diverse needs of your application, whether you are in construction, automotive, electronics, or general manufacturing.
Access our product families
Arkema's offering for adhesives
Arkema provides a wide range of resins and additives for low-VOC curing technologies including waterborne, UV LED, high solids and rheology, for market segments such as sealants, radiation cure, anerobic, flooring and structural adhesives.Learn more