Toughened adhesive

An adhesive designed to carry significant service loads as part of an engineered joint, transferring stress between substrates over the whole bonded area rather than at discrete fasteners. Epoxies, polyurethanes and methacrylates are the main chemistries, used in applications from aircraft assemblies to wind turbine blade bonding.

A thermosetting resin based on molecules containing epoxide groups, cured by reaction with a hardener such as an amine or anhydride. Valued for strong adhesion, low cure shrinkage, chemical resistance and high mechanical performance, it is widely used in structural adhesives, laminating resins, coatings and composite matrices.

A two-part structural acrylic adhesive based on methyl methacrylate monomer, cured by a free-radical reaction between resin and activator. MMAs bond metals, composites and many plastics with minimal surface preparation and combine high strength with toughness, making them popular for bonding GRP structures and vehicle assemblies.