About Adhesives & Sealants

What adhesives and sealants are and why they matter

Adhesive and sealants have evolved over centuries, from early natural glues made from tree sap and starch to today’s high-tech materials used in advanced applications such as aerospace. Bonding and sealing technologies play an essential role in countless everyday products, enabling performance, durability and, in many cases, more cost-effective and sustainable manufacturing.

Understanding adhesives and sealants

Adhesives and sealants serve different purposes. Adhesives are compounds used to bond two or more materials together. Their role is to keep those materials joined over the lifetime of the product and under the required service conditions.

Sealants are materials used mainly to seal cracks, gaps or joints. They are designed to accommodate movement while remaining bonded to the surfaces to which they are applied. Their purpose is to prevent the penetration of water, other liquids, gases or airborne particles, and to maintain a durable seal.

Choosing the appropriate adhesive or sealant depends closely on the required functionality, application conditions and materials involved.

Adhesives and sealants: functions and uses

Adhesives and sealants are used across everyday life and industry. They are important because they join materials with long-term stability while preserving the properties those materials need to perform, without drilling holes or exposing materials to the high heat used in other processes. Adhesives and sealants distribute stress evenly across joints, support flexible product design, and can add functions such as sealing, insulation or controlled removability where required.

To learn more about the uses and benefits of adhesives and sealants, download our handbook ‘Adhesive Bonding Technology in the 21st Century - Synergy of Technological and Ecological Potentials’, jointly written by FEICA and Fraunhofer IFAM.