Contact adhesive

Substituted heat-reactive resins are most widely used in contact-adhesive appHcations and, to a lesser extent, in coatings (77,78) -butylphenol, cresol, and nonylphenol are most frequendy used. The alkyl group increases compatibiHty with oleoresinous varnishes and alkyds. In combination with these resins, phenoHcs reduce water sensitivity. Common appHcations include baked-on and electrical insulation varnishes, and as modifiers for baking alkyds, rosin, and ester gum systems. Substituted heat-reactive resins are not used for air-dry coatings because of theh soft, tacky nature in the uncured state substituted nonheat-reactive phenoHcs are the modifying resin of choice in this case. 

Aqueous dispersions are used in fiber bonding, paper coating, friction and abrasive appHcations, and laminates and wood bonding. PhenoHc dispersions improve the strength of latex-contact adhesive appHcations. Epoxy-modified phenoHc dispersions are prepared by dispersion of the phenoHc epoxy resin. The systems are used for baked primer appHcations and bonding requirements. Minimum baking conditions are 20 min at 150°C (25). 

Adhesives. Contact adhesives are blends of mbber, phenoHc resin, and additives suppHed in solvent or aqueous dispersion form they are typically appHed to both surfaces to be joined (80). Evaporation of the solvent leaves an adhesive film that forms a strong, peel-resistant bond. Contact adhesives are used widely in the furniture and constmction industries and also in the automotive and footwear industries. The phenoHc resins promote adhesion and act as tackifiers, usually at a concentration of 20—40%. In solvent-based contact adhesives, neoprene is preferred, whereas nitrile is used in specialty appHcations. The type and grade of phenoHc resin selected control tack time, bond strength, and durabiHty. 

Neoprene—phenohc contact adhesives, known for thein high green strength and peel values, contain a resole-type resin prepared from 4-/-butylphenol. The alkyl group increases compatibiHty and reduces cross-linking. This resin reacts or complexes with the metal oxide, eg, MgO, contained in the formulation, and increases the cohesive strength of the adhesive. In fact, the reactivity with MgO is frequently measured to determine the effectiveness of heat-reactive phenoHcs in the formulation. 

Waterborne contact adhesives contain an elastomer in latex form, usually an acryflc or neoprene-based latex, and a heat-reactive, cross-linkable phenohc resin in the form of an aqueous dispersion. The phenoHc resin improves metal adhesion, green strength, and peel strength at elevated temperature. A typical formulation contains three parts latex and one part phenohc dispersion (dry weight bases). Although metal oxides may be added, reaction of the oxide with the phenohc resin does not occur readily. 

Bonding properties of water-based contact adhesives are similar to those of solvent-based systems, but are free of flammabihty ha2ards. However, drying times are longer and the bond is sensitive to moisture. 

Fully Adhered. The substrate, ie, insulation, cover board, etc, that the single-ply membrane is to be attached to is either fuUy adhered or mechanically fastened to the deck. However, there are also appHcations where the membrane is adhered directly to the deck. The membrane is then adhered to the substrate. The typical method for adhering the membrane to the substrate is by applying a contact adhesive to the membrane and substrate, rolling the membrane into place, and brooming once the adhesive is ready. There are one-sided appHcations where the membrane is roUed directly into the adhesive that has been appHed to the substrate only. The membrane used in this appHcation method may be fleece-backed. FuUy adhered systems can be installed on any slope. The fuUy adhered appHcation offers a smooth surface that is easy to maintain and inspect, as weU as exceUent wind resistance on account of positive attachment. 

Another major area of use is in the field of adhesives. The main attractions of the material are the absence of a need for mastication, easy solvation of the polymer, which is supplied in a crumb form, the production of low-viscosity solutions and high joint strength. In conjunction with aromatic resins they are used for contact adhesives whilst with aliphatic resin additives they are used for permanently tacky pressure-sensitive adhesives. In addition to being applied from solution they may be applied as a hot melt. 

Fig. 6. Four mechanisms of adhesion, (a) The adsorption mechanism (contact adhesion), (b) The diffusion mechanism (diffusion interphase adhesion), (c) The mechanical interlocking mechanism. (d) The electrostatic mechanism.

The two issues that are dominant in determining the interfacial strength in the case of contact adhesion are (1) the completeness and intimacy of contact between the adhesive and adherend at the interface and (2) the strength of the intermolecular interactions across the interface. Methods for predicting both of these factors are discussed below. 

Initial intimacy of contact between the adhesive and adherend must of course precede the formation of a diffusion interphase, but in contrast to contact adhesion, the issue which is dominant is not the maximization of the work of adhesion but instead must be some appropriate measure of the phase compatibility, in the sense of mutual solubility. 

In what follows, particular attention is given to semi-empirical strategies for optimizing contact adhesion and diffusion interphase adhesion. The former centers around maximizing the strength of inteimolecular interactions across a true interface, while the latter seeks to maximize thermodynamic compatibility between the phases. 

Regardless of which, or which combination, of the above mechanisms is responsible for adhesion in a given case, intimate molecular contact between the adhesive and adherend is required. This means that the contact angle of the liquid adhesive against the adherend surface should be as low as possible, and preferably 0°. For the case of contact adhesion, this is immediately evident, but in cases where mechanical interlocking is the primary mechanism for adhesion it is also the case because the adhesive must first be able to flow or wick into the pores of the... 

Good wetting is of course not a sufficient criterion for good contact adhesion because it takes no account of the factors that influence the mechanical loss factor, C, in Eq. 8, nor does it account for residual stress development during cure. But aside from these factors, one might inquire into the validity of the correlation between practical contact adhesion and VEa beyond 0° contact angle , i.e. can any distinction be made based on VEa between different adhesives, all of which perfectly wet the adherend ... 

The literature also contains other less quantitative but direct indications of the importance acid-base effects in contact adhesion [35,78,103]. 

In concluding the discussion of contact adhesion, the near universal presence... 

In developing criteria for the ranking of adhesive formulations or adherend surface treatments or primers, it is necessary to distinguish between two different situations. In one case (contact adhesion), a true interface is believed to exist across which intermolecular forces are engaged, while in the other, an interphase is formed by diffusive interpenetration or interdigitation between the adhesive and the adherend (diffusion interphase adhesion). Even in the case of contact adhesion, more often than not, an mi vphase of macroscopic thickness forms on... 

In a separate study using the JKR technique, Chaudhury and Owen [48,49] attempted to understand the correlation between the contact adhesion hysteresis and the phase state of the monolayers films. In these studies, Chaudhury and Owen prepared self-assembled layers of hydrolyzed hexadecyltrichlorosilane (HTS) on oxidized PDMS surfaces at varying degrees of coverage by vapor phase adsorption. The phase state of the monolayers changes from crystalline (solidlike) to amoiphous (liquid-like) as the surface coverage (0s) decreases. It was found that contact adhesion hysteresis was the highest for the most closely packed... 

Carpick, R.W., The study of contact, adhesion, and friction at the atomic scale by atomic force microscopy. University of Califomia-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 1997. 

Maugis, D., Contact, Adhesion and Rupture of Elastic Solids. Solid State Sciences. Springer, Berlin, 2000. 

Some rubber base adhesives need vulcanization to produce adequate ultimate strength. The adhesion is mainly due to chemical interactions at the interface. Other rubber base adhesives (contact adhesives) do not necessarily need vulcanization but rather adequate formulation to produce adhesive joints, mainly with porous substrates. In this case, the mechanism of diffusion dominates their adhesion properties. Consequently, the properties of the elastomeric adhesives depend on both the variety of intrinsic properties in natural and synthetic elastomers, and the modifying additives which may be incorporated into the adhesive formulation (tackifiers, reinforcing resins, fillers, plasticizers, curing agents, etc.). 

One of the most common rubber adhesives are the contact adhesives. These adhesives are bonded by a diffusion process in which the adhesive is applied to both surfaces to be joined. To achieve optimum diffusion of polymer chains, two requirements are necessary (1) a high wettability of the adhesive by the smooth or rough substrate surfaces (2) adequate viscosity (in general rheological properties) of the adhesive to penetrate into the voids and roughness of the substrate surfaces. Both requirements can be easily achieved in liquid adhesives. Once the adhesive solution is applied on the surface of the substrate, spontaneous or forced evaporation of the solvent or water must be produced to obtain a dry adhesive film. In most cases, the dry-contact adhesive film contains residual solvent (about 5-10 wt%), which usually acts as a plasticizer. The time necessary... 

Natural rubber adhesives were traditionally used as contact adhesives. However, synthetic polymers are more generally used today. Polychloroprene adhesives are the most common contact adhesives based on synthetic rubber, although recently some have been displaced by polyurethane and acrylic polymers [2]. 

In contact adhesives, the so-called tack open time is important. This can be defined as the time available after the adhesive is applied during which the surface remains tacky enough for the application of the adherend. It can be easily measured by applying a thin layer of fresh adhesive on Kraft paper and making a bond at different times until no bond is obtained. 

Shoe adhesives. CR adhesives are used for the permanent attachment of shoe soles. For difficult-to-bond sole materials (plasticized PVC, EVA foaming soles, thermoplastic rubber, SBR) graft polymer solutions of Neoprene AD-G combined with a polyisocyanate provide a good adhesion. Another major area for CR contact adhesives is the manufacture of leather goods, particularly leather shoe sole bonding and belt lamination. 

---