Loctite Adhesives Products

Loctite® Contact Cement

Brush Top Application

Safety Precautions

Wear gloves. Provide adequate ventilation in work areas with either a fan or natural cross-ventilation that will remove interior air from working area.

Preparation

The temperature of the adhesive, the surfaces being bonded and the working area should be at or above 65°F (18°C). Surfaces must be clean, dry, free of paint or other coatings, grease, dust and other contaminants and irregularities. Pre-fit all materials, as bonding will be immediate upon contact. To improve adhesion to very smooth surfaces, roughen by sanding. After sanding, remove all dust and particles from surface. Stir contact cement until uniform. Do not mix with other adhesives or dilute with water.

Application

Apply an even, generous coat to both surfaces. Coverage will vary with porosity, roughness of the surface and thickness of application. Very porous surfaces, such as particleboard, require two coats. Between coats and before joining the substrates, allow 30 to 40 minutes drying time or until the adhesive turns from a milky white to a transparent gloss. Heavy adhesive application, high humidity or low temperatures will lengthen the time required for adequate drying. Typically the adhesive will dry in 30 to 40 minutes at 73°F (23°C) and 50% relative humidity. Drying time can be accelerated by the use of hot air ovens, fans or heat (IR) lamps. Join surfaces within one hour after last coat of adhesive has been applied. If the surfaces are left to dry beyond one hour, applying another thin coat will reactivate the adhesive. Again the adhesive must be allowed to dry before bonding. Dry contact cement should have a uniform glossy appearance when adequately coated. Any dull spots indicate a second coat of adhesive is necessary. Dull spots occur because too little adhesive was applied or because of excessive absorption into the surfaces.

Position materials carefully since bonding is immediate and parts cannot be repositioned once contact has been made. Dowels or clean rods placed between the substrates can be used to aid in positioning when bonding large surfaces. These are then removed before making contact with each other, paying special attention to the edges. Apply as much pressure as possible without damaging the materials. A pinch roller or rotary press may also be used. Bonded assemblies may be trimmed, cut or machined immediately after bonding.

Note:
It is possible to bond polystyrene and polyurethane foam to metal by applying a solvent-based contact cement to the metal surface and Loctite® Contact Cement to the polystyrene or polyurethane foam. Observe the recommended drying times for each adhesive, join and press together.

Bonding failures
Delamination and bubbling can result because of:

1. Insufficient adhesive,
2. Insufficient or excessive drying time before bonding.
3. Inadequate pressure applied when bonding,
4. Inadequate contact because of irregularities in the surfaces being bonded which prevent the adhesive layers contacting each other when applying pressure,
5. Application or bonding below the recommended minimum temperature.

In some cases delamination or bubbling of the laminate can be corrected by reactivating the adhesive using a hot iron over a towel to protect the surfaces and then immediately reapplying pressure. It may be necessary to pierce the bubble with a very fine hole or knife cut to allow any vapors to escape.

Cleanup

Clean tools and adhesive residue immediately with water. Cured contact cement may be carefully cut away with a sharp-edged tool.