1.1.13.1 Basic Classification
1.1.13.1 Basic Classification
The broadest classification scheme categorises an adhesive as organic or synthetic. This manual focuses on synthetic adhesives, which are the most commonly used adhesives today by far. Modern adhesives systems that are used in demanding structural applications are made from synthetic polymers.
Adhesives may be classified by chemistry, common uses, means of turning from a liquid to a solid (which not all adhesives do), ease of use, method of application, speed of cure – in fact, there are so many characteristics that a diagram of these classifications would be a complex tangle of overlaps and contradictions. For the purposes of this text, we focus on function, chemical composition and type of reaction.