The Basics of Adhesive Formulation

As shown in Table 1.7, the epoxy resin is rarely used unmodified as an adhesive system. Rather, it is used in the form of a compound containing various modifiers and additives to improve properties, such as strength, flow, and heat resistance, and to add or advance other properties that are demanded by the specific application. 

TABLE 1.7 Compounding Ingredients of Epoxy Resins and Their Roles30 

Resin content Epoxy resin The bisphenol A type is most common. However, there are many other types of epoxy resins having differing properties. 

Modifying ingredients Flexibilizers Elasticity agents flexibilize compounds to improve their peel strength, impact resistance, and elongation. 

The following section offers a brief description of how certain additives and formulation parameters are used to control the characteristics of adhesive systems. The roles of specific additives are defined in Chaps. 6 through 10. 

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