Modern marine-grade adhesives and sealants are designed to protect against water, chemicals, temperature extremes, and environmental degradation. The improved structural bonding capabilities of many of today’s products offer a myriad of benefits, including:
- - Support using light, one-piece composite hulls
- - Reduce construction time
- - Improve aesthetics
- - Durability
- - Flexibility
- - Longevity
- - Noise-reducing
- - Vibration dampening
- - Watertight seals
- - Better UV and chemical protection than ever before
Each type of marine adhesive has specific advantages and applications, making them suitable for different tasks and conditions encountered in marine environments.
Some of the most common marine-grade adhesives include:
Epoxies - Renowned for their high strength and durability and are exceptionally resistant to water, chemicals, and temperature changes. They’re traditionally used in marine applications for bonding fiberglass, metal, and wood.
Polyurethanes—These are moisture-resistant and often used for sealing and bonding seams, decks, and hulls due to their ability to withstand vibrations and impacts. They are also highly flexible and strong.
Silicones – UV resistant, highly flexible, and able to maintain elasticity across drastically fluctuating temperatures; silicones are ideal for sealing windows, hatches, and other components that require flexibility.
Acrylics – These set quickly, offer excellent durability, provide strong bonds, and are resistant to environmental factors. They’re often used in marine applications to bond plastic components, signage, and lightweight materials.
Butyl Rubber Adhesives—Known for their excellent flexibility and waterproofing properties, they provide a strong seal that remains pliable. This is why they are frequently used in marine applications to seal joints, seams, and overlaps.
Finally, a critical development among today’s marine-grade sealants and adhesives is the continued improvement of Methyl methacrylates (MMAs). These two-part structural adhesives make up the majority of adhesives used in the manufacturing of watercraft. Specifically, they’re used in the marine industry's primary bonding application, which is bonding the hull to the boat frame.
Modern MMAs have improved impact resistance, which is critical for structural bonding due to the consistent impacts they must withstand from water and wave formations.
According to an article by ASI, “Prior to applying the adhesive, a tracing of the frame is painted inside the hull. The tracing is then outlined in MMA adhesive from industrial-scale dispensing guns. The bead size for this application can range up to two inches, so significant volumes of adhesive are utilized by manufacturers in this application.”
The article continues, “This job was once done with epoxies, but surface preparation requirements and long cure times left manufacturers looking for a more efficient process. MMAs are slightly more expensive than epoxies with similar bonding properties, but the cost savings in simplifying the process more than make up the difference.”
The change from epoxies to MMA’s has also allowed manufacturers to skip the step of sanding the composite hull to prepare the surface. MMA’s also cure faster, further reducing production time.
Austin Hardware offers a wide selection of chemical solutions for the marine industry. We invite you to review the many available options by visiting our dedicated marine solutions page or contact your Austin Hardware sales representative or your nearest Austin Hardware location for more information on how we can help you.
