Sticky Glass - Structural bonded joints with acrylates

Abstract

UV and light curing acrylates present a whole host of possibilities for designing glass construction with adhesively bonded joints. Their clear and colourless appearance produces a transparent and lightweight construction. Short curing times consisting of no more than mere minutes allow for quick production with minimal downtime within the overall process. Processing can resume immediately once bonding has occurred. The advantages of acrylates can be silhouetted against the characteristics and properties of adhesive silicone which has been widely approved by German building authorities for specific façade applications. These adhesives are analysed both generally as bulk material and in applications as a joint between glass and metal. The use of dog bone shaped specimens is recommended to analyze the material behaviour under a variety of influential factors such as temperature and testing speed. The bonded joints of test specimens provide an opportunity to examine the interaction between the adhesive and the materials to which they are adhered. Constructions having punctually bonded joints are tested to demonstrate the potential use of acrylic joints in glass treatments. Some components are exposed to natural weathering in order to examine the affects of ageing on the adhesive. Finally in short form commendations can be given to plan and design glass constructions with adhesively bonded joints of UV and light curing acrylates.