If you are wondering what is the difference between Adhesives and glues, you will be surprised how similar they are and yet different in their very own way.

1. ADHESIVES
1
If you are wondering what is the difference between Adhesives and glues, you will be surprised how
similar they are and yet different in their very own way. Glues have been used for many years by us
almost on a daily basis for things that can be glued together without using complex items, by a simple
method right at home. A glue is sometimes known to fail in doing what it is required to so it can be used
to sealing letters, using in arts and crafts, or to paste something your child created on to your wall of fame
and for daily usage at home.
Adhesives on the other hand is a substance that is applied on the surface of materials to bind them
together and restraint them from separating in future. Adhesives have been used as a better substitute to
sewing, welding, bolting and screwing things on to each other. It is also a cost effective of way binding
two materials together. It is its unique property of binding very many different materials together along
with ability to distribute stress across the joint in a more efficient way. The fact that you don’t have to
purchase several machines together to perform one task that adhesives do with great ease is perhaps the
icing on the cake. Adhesives are known to do its work without hampering the aesthetic design and it also
gives you great flexibility to do things. The term Water based adhesives may not seem like a lot, but it is
an invention of a kind which has in a way revolutionized and replaced glues which were first invented. It
has taken the world by storm and made life easier to the extent that many industries cannot imagine life
without the use of these water based adhesives.
However there are a few known disadvantages of adhesives among those are decreased stability at high
temperature along with a weakness in binding two large objects together while the worst is it causes great
trouble during the testing time. However the growing need of Adhesives has made it important to create
stronger format of adhesives that serves different purposes. There are two types of adhesives, one that is
made naturally through organic sources such as vegetable matter while the synthetic adhesives are
based on elastomers, thermoplastics, emulsions, and thermosets.
Today there is a huge need of water based adhesives in the world today. Whether it be for use in large
industries or by companies or individuals. Water based adhesive have become the order of the day.
Water based adhesive manufacturer’s today use unique combinations to develop their own kinds meeting
the needs and requirements of companies and individuals. Some use custom adhesive formulation
technology along with novel emulsion polymer technology, while others use both natural and synthetic
raw materials combined with latest technology to produce products that are in need by the people today.
Not only is this product so important, today packaging this product in the right way has become the
greatest concern of companies that manufacture it as well for those who are purchasing this product.
There are plenty of packaging manufacturers out there but picking the right one is in fact the toughest and
the most crucial part of the task. Some packaging manufacturers also offer personalized format of
packaging which has the company labeling sticker on it. Some roll it all up in double side tissue tape.

2. ADHESIVES
2
There are various types of adhesives, made from various components. They are used for different
purposes. Adhesives that are water based are best for using on cardboard, paper and wood materials.
Manufactured by many companies, these adhesives are the quickest way to mend defects in certain
equipments, for quite a long time.
What is water based adhesives used for?
Porous substances like paper and cardboard are best suited for these adhesives. This is because they
have better evaporation and absorption capabilities. These adhesives can also be used in industrial,
construction, defense, medical, aerospace, woodcutting and construction purposes. Making the right
choice is very important while buying these adhesives. They come in both synthetic and natural polymers.
The best adhesive companies try to provide the most water-resistant, best quality and fast setting
adhesives.
The technology used by most companies also comes into consideration. Often the formulation technology
and the emulsion polymer technology make all the difference. Both natural and synthetic materials are
used for its manufacturing. The quality of them is decided according to the requirements of people.
Industrial requirements are also considered.




The technical, commercial and manufacturing footprints are taken into consideration. This helps
in the global acceptance of the product.
These adhesive can serve a diverse range of industries and markets.
The companies always try to come up with innovative solutions, so that the quality can be
bettered.
Making them even more heat and water resistant, is the main concern for manufacturers.
Hot melt adhesives and their variety of uses
Manufacturers of these adhesives try to incorporate the best quality materials in their product. These help
in improving the quality. These adhesives are used in industries like telecoms, packaging, metals and
casting. They are popular because of their heat-resistant quality. They are also air-resistant, and cannot
lose their gripping quality due to expose.
They are generally at low temperatures and are easy to apply. Their primary use is found in cosmetic,
handicrafts, ornaments, albums, stationery, mattresses and filter assembly. They have very long
functional life. The adhesive quality is premium. Different ranges are available, according to customer’s
requirement. The team of experts behind its manufacturing is very experienced. The prices offered are
generally affordable.
Therefore, adhesives like these should always be purchased from reliable sources. They should be
properly consulted and discussed. Many adhesive companies have come up recently. Orders can also be
placed through online methods. The quality of the products should be checked, from before-hand.
Precautions should be adopted, before using them.

3. ADHESIVES
Market surveys to help improve the products
Market surveys are conducted, so that the companies can get to know about the shortcoming in their
products. Varieties differ in accordance with industrial or commercial use. High tensile strength and
longevity of the products are promised by most companies. The products must be great in terms of usage
and economy. All areas are considered before releasing a product. The consumer reaction is taken into
heed. Along with these two, other kinds of adhesives are also present in the market. They have their own
area of utilization. Proper consultation with reliable people and sources should be done, before buying a
product.
Hot melt adhesive, which also goes by the name of’ hot glue’ is an industrial use adhesive which has
distinct advantages over conventional glue systems. Hot glue is a kind of a thermoplastic adhesive which
is usually dispensed with a ‘hot glue gun’ and comes in cylindrical sticks of different diameters, to suit the
exact requirements. Analysts from reputed research companies estimate the global hot melt adhesives
market to be worth $7 Billion by the year 2018.
Hot melt adhesives have a long life and can be usually disposed of without any exceptional precautions.
Some of the drawbacks include thermal load of the substrate, restricting usage to substrates which are
not sensitive to higher temperatures and bond strength weakens at higher temperatures to complete
melting of the adhesive. This can be reduced by the usage of a reactive adhesive that after hardening
experiences further curing.
Hot melt glues usually contain of one base material with many additives. The configuration is typically
made to achieve a glass transition temperature below the lowest service temperature and appropriate
high melt temperature too. The degree of crystallization is normally high, however, within parameters of
permissible shrinkage. The melt viscosity and the crystallization rate can be customized for the particular
application.
rd
As per a study by ChemQuest Group, UK has the 3 largest demand for adhesives in Europe. The
adoption of Hot melt adhesives can be categorized in Non-Pressure Sensitive Hot Melt Adhesives which
have great demand in Packaging; Rigid Bonding and Non-Rigid Bonding industries while Pressure
Sensitive Hot Melt Adhesives in the Packaging & Tapes industry.
With the industry and overall demands increasing, Hot melt adhesive suppliers have grown in
substantial numbers over the last few years and internet is full of supplier listings which can cater to your
need, no matter how large or small it is. These suppliers provide various forms of the hot glue like hot
melt glue stick, pad hot melt adhesive, granule hot melt adhesive, pillow and block shape hot melt
adhesive, which can be used with all type of glue guns and adhesive coating equipments.
The UK industry has matured to the extent that British Adhesives and Sealants Association in tandem
with Sealant Manufacturers Conference have steadily joined hands to form Europe’s only sovereign trade
3

4. ADHESIVES
body committed exclusively to the welfare of the adhesives and sealants industry. This body helps its
members by representing the industry and offering direction on technical and regulatory issues, providing
opportunities to members for interacting with each other and providing members support services. BASA
has 100 members which are companies and they jointly represent more than 80% of all UK’s
manufacturers of industrial sealants and adhesives.
All in all, if you are a packager or another user of hot melt adhesives for your own company, the options
are many. The pricing for these adhesives is usually low-cost and since there is a lot of competition out
there, you should be in luck to negotiate the best rate. While the internet has a lot of options available, the
BASA website should be able to provide you with reliable options since they are backed by the
association. Nowadays, hot melt adhesives have also found their way in domestic usage no matter what
you’d like to stick, re-do your house, or work with a “DIY’ kit, the hot glue will constantly be your most
dependable solution to achieve the task at hand. Nowadays, these glue sticks and guns used for
domestic applications are available at very affordable prices on mostly all online and brick and mortar
hardware stores. That said, please use it with caution and more importantly, keep it out of the reach of
children. So the next time you think of an adhesive solution, check out the ‘Hot Glue’ and I am sure it will
keep you sticking with it for many years to come.
Hot Melt Glues are usually used in industrial applications as the use of Volatile organic compounds are
either eliminated or reduced and the curing/drying time considerably shortened. These have a very high
shelf life and hence can be stored and used after long periods. These, however, have a few
disadvantages, in that substrates that are sensitive to high temperature cannot be used. Hence the use of
HMG is limited to only those substrates that are not sensitive to high temperatures. The advantages far
outweigh the drawbacks as these are used to bond a wide variety of materials and are often called the
perfect bond. The nature of the glue allows it to flow into gaps thereby making the joint near perfect.
Further the HMG do not shrink in layer thickness unlike their solvent based adhesives. These adhesives
are usually supplied in sticks of different sizes and are pushed through an electric gun. The electric gun
heats the sticks and pushes out molten glue. The glue when released is very hot and can damage one’s
skin. The molten glue cures in a few seconds to a minute. The Hotmelt glue can either be applied or
used by dipping.
Hot melt glues are made from thermoplastic polymers. These polymers when heated melt and are tacky
enabling easy application on surfaces to be bonded. Certain additives such as waxes are also added to
the glue in order to reduce the viscosity. The use of additives also helps in regulating the speed at which
the curing takes place. Hot melt glues are made of several chemicals such as Polyethylene, Ethylene
vinyl acetate and amorphous polypropylene. Polyethylene based hot melt glues are used in sealing
cases and bags while the amorphous polypropylene is used in bonding paper to paper as well for sealing
tapes which are water resistant. These are, however, weak and hence cannot used in applications where
the strength of the joint is of importance. The newer range of hot melt glues are made up of copolymers of
4

5. ADHESIVES
Styrene and butadiene. These are used in pressure sensitive adhesives for tapes, labels and bottles,
being water resistant.
Water based adhesives are those which use water as the solvent. These adhesives also use rubber
compounds along with synthetic additives. Commonly used additives are hydrocarbon resins, pine sap,
starch, raw flour, corn starch etc. These can also be used after hydrolysis where these are broken down
into smaller units which facilitates combining with fillers such as Sodium Hydroxide, Borate salts and
plasticizers. Water based adhesives may also contain Volatile Organic Compounds to help reduce
viscosity and regulate the speed of drying.
Water based adhesives could either be water soluble or water dispersed. The former includes animal glue
and the latter include natural rubber, synthetic rubber and post formed rubber. Natural Rubber is drawn
directly from the tree while the synthetic rubber is obtained from polymers such as chloroprene, vinyl
acetate and vinyl chloride. The process of bonding takes place by penetration of water into the paper and
drying of the same. The bonds made by water based adhesives are stronger than the hot melt glue in the
case of bonding paper to paper. Hot melt glues can, however, bond a wide range of materials unlike
water based adhesives. Water based adhesives find several applications in corrugated cartons, labeling
of cans, sealing of bags, bonding of fabrics, tiles, laminations etc.
5