Common Causes for Adhesive Failure

Adhesive research has reached the point where car manufacturers are more commonly increasingly using adhesive bonds when building their cars. Even though your demands might not be as great as these car manufacturers, you still expect your adhesives to work as intended, without failing and leaving you to wonder what happened.

There are many different reasons an adhesive failure might occur, and determining what exactly went wrong will help you understand how to fix the issue and prevent it from happening in the future. There are some common problems we encounter on a consistent basis that we thought we’d compile in a brief blog that explains the problem, and how to remedy it.

  1. Incorrect Adhesive Was Selected – Surface-PreparationEach unique project and situation requires a specific adhesive to obtain the best possible chance for success. We’ve previously put together a handy adhesive bonding chart to help you determine our recommendation for your project. If you don’t see your specific application, the experts here at Chemical Concepts can discuss your particular job with you. 
  2. Poor Surface Preparation – Another common cause for adhesive failure is improper surface preparation. You must be sure to remove any oil, dust, dirt, or other debris with a solvent or cleaner that doesn’t leave a residue. Make sure the surface is dry, and that you consider our other adhesive surface preparation tips.
  3. Improper Adhesive Preparation – Certain adhesives require specific preparation and mixing directions to be followed. If the adhesive does not get prepared correctly this compromises its effectiveness. Be sure to read any accompanying instructions your adhesives may come with.

These are some of the most frequent causes we see for adhesive failure. In addition to these issues, more specific problems like substrate failure, adhesion failure, and cohesion failure are also worth mentioning for your consideration.

If you’d like to learn more feel free to contact us by way of the phone number above, and our adhesives experts will be more than happy to address any questions you might have or to make specific recommendations for your project.