LORD Maxlok MX/T6S Structural Acrylic Adhesive

LORD Maxlok MX/T6S structural acrylic adhesive is the middle grade of the Maxlok family and the one Parker publishes its performance data on, mixed 4:1 by volume with LORD Maxlok MX accelerator and offered in 50ml and 415ml cartridges. It bonds unprepared metals, composites and plastics with minimal surface preparation, replacing welding, brazing, riveting and mechanical fastening on assemblies that see high impact or high peel loads. Work time is 6 to 9 minutes and handling strength comes at 20 to 24 minutes. On aluminum it reaches 2760 psi lap shear at room temperature, failing cohesively. Mixed, it is a grey non-sag paste. Made in the USA.

Key Product Details

Cured Properties

Metal Bond Performance

Lap shear and T-peel in psi and pli, with failure mode in parentheses. C is cohesive failure, meaning the adhesive itself split rather than releasing from the metal. A is adhesive failure, where the bond let go of the surface. Cohesive failure across nearly every condition here is the number that matters, because it says the joint is limited by the adhesive’s own strength rather than by how well it stuck.

Test specimens were 0.032 in thick, surface treated with nothing more than a dry rag wipe. Aluminum was 6061T6S, and both galvanized steels were hot dipped and electrogalvanized at the same gauge. Lap shears followed ASTM D1002 on a 1.0 x 0.5 in bond area, T-peel followed a modified ASTM D1876 on 1.0 x 3.0 in, both at a 0.010 in film thickness cured 24 hours at room temperature.

Plastic and Composite Bond Performance

Lap shear in psi, with failure mode in parentheses. SB is stock break, meaning the plastic itself broke before the bond did. FT is fiber tear, where the composite delaminated rather than the joint releasing. Both mean the adhesive outlasted the substrate.

All performance data above was obtained on LORD Maxlok MX/T6S. Parker asks that other adhesive and accelerator combinations be confirmed with them directly, so these figures do not transfer to the T3S or T18S grades. Your substrate, joint geometry and surface prep will move the numbers, so run your own bond trial.

Performance in Production

• 2760 psi on aluminum with cohesive failure, after nothing but a dry rag wipe. That combination is the whole argument for acrylics: no grit blast, no primer, no solvent wash, and the joint still fails in the adhesive rather than at the surface.
• Cold makes it stronger. Aluminum climbs from 2760 psi at room temperature to 3150 psi at -40°F. The failure mode shifts partly adhesive at that point, which is worth knowing if the assembly sees genuine cold service.
• Retains roughly 78% of its room temperature strength on aluminum after 1400 hours of salt spray. On galvanized the retention runs 65 to 73%. That is the number to quote on outdoor and road-salt assemblies.
• Heat is where it gives back. Shear drops to about 37% at 180°F, which is expected for an acrylic and sets the practical ceiling well below the 300°F service rating for load-bearing joints.
• Survives powder coat. Parker’s testing shows post bake resistance up to 400°F for 90 minutes, provided the bond is supported stress-free through the oven. That is what lets a bonded assembly go through the same finishing line as a welded one.
• T-peel between 41 and 54 pli, highest on galvanized. Peel is where mechanical fasteners usually win and adhesives usually lose, so this is the figure to look at on joints that see prying or impact rather than straight shear.
• Glass beads at 0.01 in hold the bond line thickness and keep dissimilar metals physically apart, which is why this gets specified on aluminum-to-steel joints where galvanic corrosion is the concern.
• 6 to 9 minutes of work time and 20 to 24 minutes to handling strength. Enough to run a real bead and set more than one part per mix, with a fixture turning roughly twice an hour.

Common Applications

• Replacing spot welds, rivets and mechanical fasteners on sheet metal assemblies
• Cross bonding aluminum to galvanized or painted steel where galvanic separation matters
• Trailer sidewall, shiplap and panel bonding
• Truck body, service body and utility vehicle assembly
• Assemblies that go through an e-coat or powder coat oven after bonding
• Sign fabrication, channel letters and architectural metal
• FRP and ABS panel bonding where the substrate fails before the joint
• Outdoor and road-salt assemblies needing long-term corrosion resistance

How to Dispense LORD Maxlok MX/T6S

Six to nine minutes is a comfortable window. The constraint on an acrylic is not the clock so much as the rule that the joint cannot be disturbed once mated, so stage the parts and the clamps before the mixer goes on.

• Prep the surfaces. Remove grease, loose contamination and poorly adhering oxides from metal. Normal amounts of mill oils and drawing compounds usually do not present a problem. Most plastics need a simple cleaning, and some need abrading for best performance.
• Load the cartridge in a 4:1 gun sized for that cartridge and pull the end caps. Level the plungers by expelling a small amount of material so both sides are even.
• Fit the mixing tip and expel a mixer’s length of adhesive to waste. Watch the color: even grey distribution is what tells you the mix is thorough.
• Apply to the substrate and mate the parts inside the 6 to 9 minute work time. Clamp in position until the adhesive reaches handling strength.
• Do not re-expose the adhesive to air once the parts are mated. If alignment needs correcting, slide the parts into position rather than separating them.
• Hold the parts in contact for the entire cure. Complete cure takes 24 hours at room temperature. Modest heat below 150°F (66°C) will speed it up, and Parker asks that you confirm the maximum temperature with an application engineer for your chosen cure speed.
• Clean tools with isopropyl alcohol, acetone or MEK before cure. Cured adhesive softens at 400°F (204°C) and above if parts have to come apart.

Storage and Handling

Maxlok stores differently from the urethane structural adhesives. Both components carry a nine month shelf life when unopened and kept below 80°F (27°C), and Parker recommends 40 to 50°F (4 to 10°C) storage. Cold-stored material should come back to room temperature before use. Keep it out of direct sunlight. The uncured components are flammable, so Parker’s instruction is not to store or use them near heat, sparks or open flame. Once the adhesive has cured, that no longer applies. Read the SDS before the material goes on the floor.

Choosing a Cartridge Size

Same adhesive in both. The 50ml is for repairs, small parts, bond trials and qualifying the adhesive on your substrate. The 415ml is the production size. They use completely different cartridge systems, so the gun and mixer do not carry over between them.

Maxlok Grades Compared

All three grades run the same MX accelerator at the same 4:1 ratio and share the same chemistry, temperature range and glass bead bondline control. The grade letter changes speed only, so pick by how long your assembly takes.

T6S is the grade to start with. It is the only one offered in a 50ml cartridge, so it is the practical choice for a bond trial, and it is the only grade Parker publishes performance data on, so it is the one an engineering group can specify against. If the trial works and your cycle time needs changing, T3S and T18S run the same chemistry at different speeds.

Available Sizes and Part Numbers

The 415ml cartridge replaced an earlier 375ml package (part 3019621). The two are not interchangeable, since the 415ml takes a different gun and a different mixing tip. If you are reordering against an old part number, check your dispensing equipment first.

Dispensing Equipment

The two cartridge sizes use different systems. Nothing carries over between them, including the mixer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is LORD Maxlok MX/T6S used for?

LORD Maxlok MX/T6S is a two-part structural acrylic adhesive used to replace welding, brazing, riveting and mechanical fastening on metal, composite and plastic assemblies. It bonds unprepared metals with minimal surface preparation and holds up across a wide temperature range on joints seeing high impact or high peel loads. Structural acrylic, MMA adhesive and methacrylate adhesive all describe the same chemistry.

How strong is a Maxlok MX/T6S bond?

2760 psi lap shear on aluminum at room temperature, 2410 on hot dipped galvanized steel and 2190 on electrogalvanized, all failing cohesively. T-peel runs 41 to 54 pli depending on substrate. On ABS and FRP the substrate itself breaks before the bond does. The full tables, including salt spray and temperature extremes, are above.

Can a bonded assembly go through a powder coat oven?

Yes, within limits. Parker’s testing shows the MX/T6S system resists post bake and powder coating temperatures up to 400°F (204°C) for 90 minutes, and the published feature set adds that bonds should be supported stress-free through the cycle. Parker also notes that customer specific substrates should always be evaluated for the specific application, so run the oven cycle on your own parts before committing a production run.

Do I have to clean or abrade the metal first?

Usually not much. Remove grease, loose contamination and poorly adhering oxides, but Parker states that normal amounts of mill oils and drawing compounds do not typically present a problem in adhesion. The published metal bond data was generated on substrates treated with nothing more than a dry rag wipe. Most plastics need a simple cleaning, and some need abrading for best performance.

Can I bond aluminum to steel with it?

Yes, and the glass beads are part of why. They are 0.01 in in diameter and sit between the two substrates, holding the bond line at a controlled thickness and keeping the two metals from touching each other directly. Parker publishes room temperature lap shear on aluminum, hot dipped galvanized and electrogalvanized steel individually, all in the 2190 to 2760 psi range with cohesive failure.

Which size should I order?

Take the 50ml for repairs, small parts and bond trials, and the 415ml for production. The adhesive is identical. The two use different cartridge systems, so a 50ml gun and mixer will not work on a 415ml and vice versa. The dispensing table above lists what each one needs.

How do I know it mixed properly?

Look at the color. Parker states that even color distribution visually indicates a thorough mix, so a streaky bead coming out of the tip means the mixer has not cleared yet. Cured Maxlok also changes color to indicate a full cure, with the final color depending on the accelerator used. Both checks are visual and need no instruments.

How should it be stored, and how long does it last?

Nine months per component, unopened, stored below 80°F (27°C). Parker recommends 40 to 50°F (4 to 10°C), and cold-stored material should return to room temperature before use. Protect it from direct sunlight. Run inventory first in, first out.

Questions on fit for your bonding application? Call (800) 220-1966 or email [email protected].