Engineers at Dow Corning have developed a silicone adhesive that works on a wide variety of substrates, including metals, glass, ceramics, and even plastics that have historically been difficult to use with silicone adhesives such as polyethylene, polycarbonate, and acetal. The one-part adhesive, EA-7100, also works on many of these materials without them having to be pre-treated or without extensive cleaning. This makes the adhesive well suited to automotive applications, letting engineers design components out of more cost-effective materials.
The adhesive requires heat to cure quickly, but it can cure in half the time needed by conventional heat-cure platinum-catalyzed silicone adhesives. For example, with a typical lid seal, a standard one-part adhesive takes an hour to cure at 125°C. EA-7100 can fully cure within 15 minutes at 100°C. And in some applications, adhesion is noticeable after only three minutes. The adhesive lets manufacturers use smaller, lower-temperature ovens that consume less electricity. The new adhesive can also be dispensed by conventional equipment already in place.