An Introduction to Sealants and Adhesives

Some people may not be aware of it, but sealants and adhesives are relevant to our daily lives. These two substances play a big part in the way tasks are completed in some of the most important industries in the world. The field of construction is one of the major sectors that make use of sealants and adhesives. These are often mistaken to be similar in properties and function, but the truth is they are not.

What is a sealant?

A sealant is a material that is meant, as the name implies, to seal something. Its purpose lies in its ability to fill gaps between two properties and to stay there permanently.  Sealants are used to close small openings which are difficult to close or shut off with other materials.

Types of sealant

There is a wide variety of sealants that are usually classified according to their properties or function. Here are some examples of the different types of sealant: acrylic sealants, adhesive sealants, aircraft sealants, car sealants, dental sealants, metal sealants, roof sealants and many others.

What is an adhesive?

An adhesive is a material that binds things together and works in the way in which a glue performs.  It is a substance that has a very strong property that makes it almost impossible to separate the bind. Adhesive is a very important substance in the construction industry because it has the ability to stick two different materials together as needed.

Types of adhesive

There are different types of adhesive that can be classified into four: Reactive adhesives, Non-reactive adhesives, Natural adhesives and Synthetic adhesives. The first two categories have sub categories, as listed below.

Reactive adhesives      

Contact adhesives

Hot adhesives

Non-reactive adhesives

One-part adhesives

Multi-part adhesives

What is the difference between sealant and adhesive?

These two substances have very different purposes. They are used for very different reasons and they perform tasks that the other could not do. A sealant is a material designed to fill a space or a gap between two surfaces, whereas an adhesive is specifically designed to join two things together by means of bonding them.

Sealants and adhesives are both very important, not only for businesses but for domestic functions as well. We make use of these substances to perform tasks that involve simple repairs at home and many other similar functions.