Resin Epoxy Adhesive and Hardener
Resin Epoxy Adhesive and Hardener Manufacturing Industry. Two-Part Epoxy Adhesives. Adhesive Based on Epoxy Resin (Two Part)
Epoxy adhesives are high strength adhesives used extensively across various industries. They are made of epoxy resins, which are in turn made up of the chemical Bisphenol A. Epoxy adhesives can be used for adhesion of numerous substrates such as wood, metals, plastics, glass and stones. After application, epoxy adhesives require time for curing or setting. This can be done with the help of heat or by exposure to ultra violet light or at room temperature.
The epoxy adhesives cured by exposure to ultra violet light are used to manufacture fiber optics and opto electronics. Epoxy adhesives have strong adhesion which makes them the most commonly used structural adhesives.
Epoxy resin adhesives have many uses in industrial applications. They generally consist of resin and hardening agents. Curing epoxy adhesives can take place either at room or elevated temperature, or through photoinitiators and UV light. Modern photoinitiators also react to the special UV spectrum of LED light sources, so that newly developed epoxide resin adhesives can be cured with both UV and UV LED light.
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Benefits of Epoxy Adhesives:
- Good resilience against environmental and media influences
- Epoxies can be used at higher temperatures
- Epoxy adhesives feature high glass transition temperatures
- Cured epoxy adhesives usually have dry, non-tacky surfaces, making them suitable also as one-sided protective coatings
- Some epoxies exhibit very good optical properties and diffraction indexes, making them useful for applications in precision optics, lens bonding and information technology
- The epoxide ring created in the cross-linking reaction significantly reduces shrinkage
- Epoxy adhesives have an extremely low ionic content and low alkaline and halogen content, down to less than 10 ppm
- Epoxy adhesives offer a wide range of different material characteristics: from flexible and soft with high elongation at break to hard and scratch-resistant with extremely high bond strength
When considering the effectiveness of an epoxy adhesive, it is useful to analyze the general formulation of the compounds that constitute it. Epoxies are created by polymerizing a mixture of two starting compounds, the resin and the hardener. When resin is mixed with a specified catalyst, curing is initiated. Curing is the process by which molecular chains react at chemically active sites, resulting in an exothermic reaction. Covalent bonds between the epoxide groups of the resin and the amine groups of the hardener (catalyst) that arise from this combination afford for the cross-linkage of the polymer, and thereby dictate the rigidity and strength of the epoxy.
Epoxy adhesives adhere to a wide variety of materials, and their properties are dependent upon the specific chemistry of the system and the nature of the cross-linking available. Some of the most important performance requirements include exceptional chemical and heat resistance, excellent adhesion and water resistance as well as satisfactory mechanical and electrical insulating properties.
Market Outlook
The global epoxy adhesives market is estimated to grow from USD 5.33 Billion in 2015 to USD 10.13 Billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 6.63% from 2016 to 2026. The market is driven by the increasing trend towards the manufacture of light weight & low carbon emitting vehicles.
Epoxy adhesives are broadly used in automotive, semiconductor, building & construction and aerospace industry. Aerospace and semiconductor industries are highly consuming epoxy adhesives thus driving the market growth. In the aerospace industry, the blades of the aircraft are connected by using epoxy adhesives. The epoxy adhesives possess properties such as temperature and pressure variations and resistance to creep under sustained load hence it is widely used in aerospace industry. In the semiconductor industry, epoxy adhesives are used for manufacturing of integrated circuits and transistors and printed circuit boards. The increase in the industries that consume epoxy adhesives has grown considerably thus fueling the market growth. In addition, advanced technology is used to make adhesives safer for humans which in turn opens up new growth opportunities. Conversely, toxic fumes are emitted during the application of epoxy adhesives which restrains the global epoxy adhesives market growth to some extent.
Epoxy Adhesive Market Revenue, 2015-2021 ($Bns)
Epoxy adhesives find extensive use in aerospace, automotive, building & construction and semiconductor industry. Of these industries, aerospace and semiconductor industries are the two major consumers of epoxy adhesives. The growth of the aerospace industry is a key driver for the growth of epoxy adhesives market. The blades of aircrafts are joined using epoxy adhesives. Due to the superior mechanical properties of epoxy adhesives, such as resistance to creep under sustained load, temperature and pressure variations, they are the adhesives of choice for the aerospace industry. The semiconductor industry makes use of epoxy adhesives to manufacture printed circuit boards, integrated circuits and transistors. The semiconductor industry is growing exponentially due to the increase in usage of electronic gadgets. This is driving the market of epoxy adhesives. However, the application of epoxy adhesives must be carried out with protective gear owing to the toxic fumes which are emitted during its application. Technological advances to make the adhesives safer for humans during application are expected to open new areas of opportunity for the market of epoxy adhesives.
On the basis of application, the global epoxy adhesives market has been segmented into building and construction, transportation, wind energy, electrical and electronics, automotive, marine and others. The increasing construction of buildings, malls, airports, and railway stations are the major drivers of the global epoxy adhesives market. Additionally, growing urbanization is driving the building and construction market in the ASEAN countries, which in turn is expected to further enhance the consumption of epoxy adhesives, during the forecast period (2016-2022).
The epoxy adhesive exhibit better chemical, mechanical and electrical also satisfactory mechanical insulating properties over the conventional adhesives technologies. Owing to these properties epoxy adhesives have found usage into various end user industries that include aviation & aerospace, automotive, construction industry, marine, wind power industry, electrical & electronics, and others. Furthermore many metals are attached using epoxy adhesives because of their high strength and water proof properties.
Epoxy adhesives possess exceptional chemical and heat resistance, excellent adhesion and water resistance as well as satisfactory mechanical and electrical insulating properties. Epoxy adhesives provide high strength and temperature resistance which enhance the rigidity and reduce noise of automotive components such as turbines and blades.
Epoxy adhesives used in automotive applications can provide better adhesion between distinct substrates such as steel and plastics. These composites are used in doors, window glass attachments, brakes and clutch plates and so on.
Growing demand for passenger cars in developing countries such as China and India, is expected to impact the epoxy adhesives market growth.
Global Epoxy Adhesive Market: Revenue (%), By End-user Industry, 2017
The key players operating in the global epoxy adhesives market include Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, 3M Company, Sika A.G., Ashland Inc., The Dow Chemical Company, Lord Corporation, Huntsman Corporation, Illinois Tool Works Inc., and Permabond LLC.
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