Moisture-Curable Polyurethane Adhesives and Sealants for Civil Engineering and Construction Applications

Abstract

The building industry is undoubtedly the major area of use of adhesives and sealants, consuming ca. 40% of their total productions[1] and ca. 36% of special high peformance products (PU, silicones, polysulphides, acrylics, epoxies)[2]. This is because the product once tested and certified for civil engineering or construction applications is then widely and freely applied, sometimes in enormous quantities. Therefore research chemists involved in the adhesives business are attempting to develop commercial products that can meet severe building regulations and, together with civil engineers, are solving the complex problems that appear in bonding, coating and sealing of building materials. Some of these important problems concerning adhesion in civil engineering have already been presented quite a long time ago at the first Conference on Adhesion and Adhesives in this series[3] J. During the 25 years that have passed from that Conference to the present one, a lot of entirely new products have been developed and used successfully in civil engineering and construction and knowledge of the adhesive properties of polymers and building materials has been distinctly improved.