Henkel’s elastic adhesive allows instant handling

Henkel Terostat silane modified polymers are great where an elastic bond is required between medium to large bond surfaces. They create friction-locked joints able to withstand dynamic loads. As the stress is distributed evenly, material fatigue and failure is prevented. As a result these adhesives are widely used to bond any structures that need to withstand vibration, such as washing machines, buses and trains.

Achieving the bond, however, generally requires the elements to be held together in a clamping system or fixture until the adhesive has cured sufficiently for the structure to hold its own weight. While this is perfectly acceptable for many applications, others require a quicker fix and this is where the innovative Henkel Terostat MS 500 hot melt sealant comes into its own.

This patented adhesive is based on modified silane polymer technology but it takes this class of products into a new realm of potential application.

In a matter of seconds this thixotropic adhesive ‘grabs’ the marrying substrate, creating high initial bond strength that allows immediate handling. As it dries it cross-links through moisture absorption, curing in as little as 20 or 30min. Terostat MS 500 effectively compensates for the differing thermal expansion characteristics of dissimilar materials and remains flexible over a wide temperature range.

From a manufacturing standpoint, this adhesive has the ability to reduce production time and costs, while improving product performance and aesthetics. It also saves on the overall weight of the structure, creates an effective seal and generally requires no substrate priming to optimise adhesion.

In common with the majority of Henkel products, Terostat MS 500 was developed to meet the needs of a specific application, bonding and sealing crystalline solar modules. The qualities described, in combination with resistance to UV and weather extremes, make it the perfect solution for this task.

One of the first UK applications is bonding and sealing caravan panels. The caravan manufacturer concerned was using flexible structural bonding technology but needed to screw panels to struts as a support mechanism during the curing process. Thanks to Terostat MS 500 and its ability to provide an instant bond, the screws are no longer needed.