Adhesives: Types of Glue and their Uses (a guide for students)

Design and technology students often have to be familiar with a range of common glues and their uses. Students should understand how to prepare surfaces for gluing, as well as special application instructions, drying times, and safety precautions. This article summarises this material and concludes with sample examination questions from the Cambridge syllabus.

Different types of glue

General recommendations before gluing two surfaces

  • Clean and dry surfaces, ensuring free of dust, grease, or debris
  • Consider roughening surfaces with sandpaper to improve adhesion (so they stick together better)
  • Check glue is suitable for material (some glue reacts with or doesn’t stick to different materials)
  • Consider clamping, weighting down, or taping together items using removable masking tape while they dry
  • Work in a well-ventilated area, particularly with adhesives like epoxy resin or spray adhesives (or wear a suitable respirator)
  • Wear gloves, particularly with glues like superglue, to avoid skin bonding or irritation
  • Follow appropriate instructions for curing time

COMMON ADHESIVES

PVA

Guidelines

Uses

Polyvinyl acetate glue
White glue that dries clear
Sets in half hour, fully cures in 24 hours
Cheap, readily available
Easy to clean up (water based)
Non-toxic
Not waterproof
Weak on shiny surfaces like metal or plastics
Wood, paper, cardboard, fabric, leather
Indoor uses where waterproofing isn’t required
Crafts, book-binding, school projects
Model-making

Wood glue

Guidelines

Uses

Like PVA, but thicker and tan coloured
Much more waterproof (you can get special exterior grades for outdoor use)
Stronger than wood itself
Sets in 30-60 minutes, fully cures in 24 hours
Weak on shiny surfaces
Furniture
General wood-working

All-purpose glue

Guidelines

Uses

Example: UHU All Purpose Glue
Clear / translucent
Bonds in 5-15 minutes, fully cured in about 24 hours
Not ideal for heavy-duty or structural applications
Paper, card, wood, fabric, leather, light metals, and some plastics

Hot melt glue

Guidelines

Uses

Refill glue sticks fed into hot glue gun and melted
Rapidly sets in a few minutes
Hard to be precise
Burning hazard
Not good for shiny or meltable surfaces
Crafts
Quick repairs

Superglue

Guidelines

Uses

Only tiny amount needed
Bonds in seconds (full cure 24 hours) – minimal clamping needed
Very strong bond
Works on shiny materials
Hurts skin – bonds to skin instantly (gloves needed)
Doesn’t work on some plastics (and can make some ‘foggy’)
Models
Electronics
Metal, rubber, ceramic, glass, some plastics, some woods

Acrylic Cement

Guidelines

Uses

Chemically melts surface and fuses acrylic together (also called “weld-on” or “acrylic adhesive”)
Invisible / clear joints (excellent optical quality)
Sets in 2-5 minutes, full cure in 2-3 days
Only works on Acrylic
Can crack acrylic if misapplied
Toxic fumes (need ventilation)
Joining acrylic

PVC Solvent Cement

Guidelines

Uses

Chemically melts surface and fuses PVC together (also known as pipe weld)
Sets in 30 seconds, full cure in 24 hours
Permanent and leak-proof (strong as PVC itself)
Only works on PVC
Fast set requires quick work
Toxic fumes (need ventilation)
Joining PVC

Polystyrene Cement

Guidelines

Uses

Chemically melts and fuses polystyrene (also known as poly cement)
Bonds in 30 seconds, full cure in 24 hours
Bonds as strong as the plastic itself
Works with polystyrene (PS) and Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) only
Toxic fumes (need ventilation)
Plastic model kits

Spray Mount

Guidelines

Uses

Repositionable spray adhesive (also known as aerosol adhesive)
Allows adjustment for several minutes before it bonds permanently – other types of spray adhesive bond immediately)
Doesn’t warp or wrinkle paper like many glues
Hard to apply to a small area
Needs ventilation
Melts / dissolves styrofoam
Mounting artwork, posters, presentations or graphic designs onto lightweight materials like paper, card, foamboard, aluminium foil, or fabric

Epoxy Resin

Guidelines

Uses

Comes in 2 parts (a resin and a hardener) that are mixed together in a precise ratio
When mixed, chemical reaction creates bond
Super-strong – typically stronger than the bonded material
Sets in about an hour, full cure in 1 – 7 days
Waterproof
Messy to clean up
Expensive
Toxic fumes (need ventilation)
Fibreglass, boat building, structural repairs
Metal, glass, wood, concrete, stone, rigid plastics
Water features in architectural models

Sample examination questions (AS Design & Technology)

Examiner comment: Many excellent responses were seen to this question. Most candidates were able to show a permanent method of joining corner A of the display stand. The most frequently seen answer was to cut the square section PVC tube to create a mitre joint (note a mitre joint has two 45° angled pieces – see joint types here) that was joined with a suitable adhesive. Commonly named adhesives included PVC solvent cement, pipe weld, and super glue. The quality of sketches and notes was usually of a high standard and sufficient to communicate the joining method. A small number of candidates incorrectly showed a temporary joining method, involving the use of screws or magnets, or a method of joining the frame to the base.

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