Which Glue is the Best Glue for Rubber Adhesion? Top Guide [2023]

The question of which glue is the best glue for rubber adhesion is a tough one. Numerous forms and uses exist for rubber.

In the post, we suggest Loctite Clear Silicone Waterproof Sealant, Gorilla Super Glue, Devcon 5-Minute Epoxy, Cyanoacrylate Adhesive, Silicone-Based Adhesive, Loctite Speedbonder Acrylic Adhesive, and Shoe Goo Shoe Repair Glue.

Additionally, in these applications, it can adhere to materials that range from rigid to flexible, from metal to plastic, or even to additional rubber. To help you choose the best glue for rubber adhesion that will generally meet your needs when it comes to adhering this material, please read on.

The Best Glues for Rubber Adhesion

Loctite Clear Silicone Waterproof Sealant

The adhesive made of the material itself is, in almost all situations, the best adhesive to bond any material. Similar reasoning applies when joining two pieces of silicone rubber together using an adhesive made of silicone. Due to the use of silicone adhesives, the repaired joint maintains all of its silicone’s flexibility, heat resistance, and waterproofing.

We suggest this Loctite silicone-based adhesive as an example of a single-component glue due to its practicality. It doesn’t need mixing, a curing agent, or to be mixed at all. However, due to its temperature restrictions, we do not advise using it for oven linings or items that will be used for cooking.

Because of its low viscosity, this adhesive is not the best choice if you need a glue that can fill a gap. Should this be the case, a silicone-based moldable glue would be a better option.

Remember that silicone is a low coefficient of friction rubber type at all times. This stresses the idea of “priming” the mating surface to give it the glue a roughness to attach onto.

Gorilla Super Glue

The reliable Super Glue from Gorilla might be your best option if you’re unsure of the type of rubber you’re working with. This is a cyanoacrylate adhesive, or cyanoacrylate in more technical terms, that when it cures, changes from a liquid to a plastic. Except for the most challenging types of rubber, cyanoacrylate glue works with them all.

The bonding action of cyanoacrylate glue is purely mechanical in nature and can be improved by enhancing how well the glue “wets” the mating surface. Once more, good adhesion can be greatly improved by cleaning up any grease residue and sanding the mating surface.

Since Super Glue sets in less than a minute, the biggest drawback of using cyanoacrylate glue is if you prefer to have plenty of time to work with your mating pieces. Additionally, due to its low viscosity, it has a maximum gap-filling capacity of 0.5 mm.

Devcon 5-Minute Epoxy

The strength of the resulting bond must be equal to the strength and impact resistance of the hard rubber, such as nitrile, when two pieces of the rubber are joined together. High-strength two-component epoxy is what we advise using in these circumstances.

Epoxy adhesives are renowned for their unmatched strength and general versatility. The quick-setting qualities of this specific glue are also advantageous., which is ideal if you need a valve seat or liner fixed instantly. You only have about two minutes to arrange the pieces once the two ingredients have been combined. The epoxy ought to have fully hardened after five minutes.

While other types of rubber should work well with this epoxy adhesive, we would not suggest it for more flexible rubbers like silicone or butyl. If the joint must frequently stretch or bend, the highly rigid hardened epoxy layer may break.

Cyanoacrylate Adhesive

Cyanoacrylate, also called “crazy glue” or “super glue,” is a good place to start when adhering rubber because it’s a great catchall for many substrates. The primary component of cyanoacrylate adhesive, an acrylic resin, is an acrylic monomer that, when cured, changes into a plastic. The bond will almost immediately become very strong and rigid even though it needs moisture to cure.

Although this works well in quick assembly line environments, it might not work well if your project calls for a longer setting period to adjust your substrates or if you need any flexibility at all. Aside from having a 0.5mm maximum gap fill, cyanoacrylate also has a short open time and cannot be used in sprayers or roll coaters for large areas.

Your joint may not be sticking if your rubber is EPDM or natural. For these substrates, we recommend a cyanoacrylate designed especially for “difficult” rubbers. Infinity Bond carries a special Rubber and Plastic Cyanoacrylate Super Glue that creates a lasting yet flexible bond.

Silicone-Based Adhesive

Thanks to elastomeric technology, silicone-based adhesives can be engineered to bond silicone rubber in a variety of applications ranging from household to transportation, to outer space. Even after curing, silicone-based adhesives can still be very flexible and are resistant to extremely high temperatures as well as chemicals and moisture. Depending on your needs, different formulations can even offer electrical conductivity or insulation.

While a two-component system does require mixing, it can cure in thicker sections than one-component systems, which may be required for some applications. Silicone adhesives that are UV- or radiation-cured use UV lamps or an electron beam to cure without the need for additional heating or excessive heat generation.

One-component silicone adhesive systems are practical because there is no mixing necessary, and they cure at room temperature. Although a curing agent must be added, two-component silicone adhesive systems have the ability to cure in thick layers, which is necessary in some circumstances. For substrates that are delicate to extreme heat or contact pressure, silicone adhesive systems that cure when exposed to UV light or an electron beam are excellent.

Keep in mind that because silicone rubber is slippery, extra caution may be needed when bonding it. Look for a primer to raise surface friction before using an adhesive if your bond simply won’t hold. Visit Hotmelt.com to see a variety of silicone and silicone-based adhesives.

Loctite Speedbonder Acrylic Adhesive

Many people believe acrylic adhesive to be the best adhesive and the type of glue to use when all other options have failed. Even though it costs a little more than other glues, it is frequently used for challenging plastics like PTFE, PP, and PE.

A variety of rubbers likely exist with additives like plasticizers that make them difficult to glue, but natural rubber is one of the more challenging rubbers to work with. To be clear, this adhesive performs best when used in conjunction with an activator, which is oddly sold separately. The adhesive will take up to 48 hours to cure if the activator is not used.

Acrylic adhesives are renowned for their superior toughness, shelf stability, and resistance to deterioration by environmental factors. Heat curing can also be used to improve the properties of the mated joint, but be sure to carefully follow the directions provided. The joint produced by an acrylic adhesive is of industrial-grade quality at best.

Shoe Goo Shoe Repair Glue

Most likely, every single person breaks at least one pair of shoes every year. When this occurs, though, not everyone will be able to afford to buy one. A tube of this Shoe Goo adhesive might be a wise purchase if you have experience with this scenario.

Shoe Goo isn’t as open about the ingredients in this adhesive. Although it may be a trade secret, Shoe Goo has established itself as the preferred adhesive for shoe repairs. Since most shoes contain some rubber, it is safe to assume that Shoe Goo will function on other typical rubber surfaces.

The advantage of Shoe Goo is that it develops adhesive layers and joints that can withstand the typical conditions that shoes go through. Continuous motion, contact with moisture, abrasion, and moderate heat are a few of these. Additionally, because it was created to preserve the aesthetics of shoes, it produces a clear coat.

Shoe Goo produces unpleasant fumes while curing, so use it in an area with good ventilation. Additionally, the full healing process might take eight hours.

The General Rules of Rubber Adhesion

Identifying Your Type of Rubber

There are many kinds of rubber. Knowing to which kind you are trying to adhere can be useful so you are aware of the necessary flexibility and hold. These are likely the most common types of rubber you will be trying to bond:

• Nitrile rubberis a common rubber that’s often found in applications including hoses, o-rings, gaskets, conveyor belts, cable jacketing, and print rollers.
• Butyl rubberis very flexible and is used in items such as linings, inner tubes, seals and stoppers, and valve seating.
• Polyurethane rubberis used in molds and modeling.
• Natural rubbercan be used for mountings, carpet backing, gaskets, and seals.
• Silicone rubberis very resistant to high heat, so it’s a popular choice for o-rings, gaskets, cookware, ovenware, medical devices, and prosthetics.
• EPDM rubber may be found in automotive hoses, seals, etc.

Prepping Rubber for Adhesion

Your rubber may already have mold release, slip additives, or other lubricants on it by the time you try to bond it because of its wide range of uses. Therefore, it’s advisable to use a solvent to degrease the rubber you’re working with before attempting any adhesion.

Since acetone might be too harsh for some types of rubber, pick isopropanol instead. Keep in mind that the plasticizer in your rubber may eventually rise to the surface and endanger your bond. It’s crucial to try to identify your rubber and pair it with the appropriate adhesive for the job.

Types of Rubber Glue

Rubber is categorized as a polymer, which is a chemical compound with larger molecules composed largely of similar smaller molecules. Although you can still get synthetic rubber today, natural rubber is still derived from plants. There are many rubber items you can find in and around the house, but rubber is also used in various industries that include some of the following:

• Car and bicycle tires
• O-ring seals
• Printing rollers and other industry rollers
• Clothing and shoes, such as rubber soles or raincoats
• Mattresses and cushions
• Bathtub plug
• Hot water bottles
• Backing on carpets
• Diving equipment
• Vibration dampeners
• Windscreen wipers
• Animal toys
• Various applications in the medical field

As you can see, rubber is utilized almost everywhere, especially given its durability and adaptability. Vulcanization, a procedure that exposes rubber to high temperatures and pressures while also adding sulfur, is the method used to create synthetic rubber. As a result, a cross-link is formed, making the rubber elastic and giving it other advantageous traits. Charles Goodyear developed the process in the 1830s.

Soft Versus Hard Rubber

Both soft rubber and hard rubber fall into two major categories. Hard rubber is not elastic and contains at least 30 to 50 percent sulfur, whereas soft rubber is extremely elastic and contains only 5 to 10% sulfur. There are many grades of rubber as well as hybrid varieties from these two main categories. Take Elastane, Buna-N, Santoprene, and foam rubber as examples. In the hobby industry, foam rubber is extremely common. Here are the various varieties of rubber available today.

• Natural rubber, which is the most commonly used and can be found in things like the backing of carpets.
• EPDM Rubber(ethylene propylene diene monomer), a synthetic rubber that is used in things like automotive hoses.
• Silicone rubber, which has excellent heat-resistant properties and is used in things like cookware and other kitchen items, as O-rings are used in prosthetics and medical devices.
• Butyl rubberis flexible and can be found in items like inner tubes and seals.
• Nitrile rubberis commonly used in many applications such as O-rings, conveyor belts, printing rollers, and numerous other items.
• Polyurethane rubberis used for molds, seals, gaskets, and other hard plastic parts.

When to Use a Rubber Adhesive

As previously stated, rubber is frequently used in household and industrial settings, so rubber glue has a wide range of uses. An adhesive for rubber typically has an elastic consistency and bonds with rubber easily. Rubber repairs are simple because it can seal any openings or cracks in the rubber.

In a number of ways, rubber glue can provide defense and increased strength. For example, glue for rubber shoes, or tires, and helping mend hoses or inflatable boats.

Hoses and other rubber products exposed to these elements will function flawlessly thanks to the best rubber glue’s resistance to water and temperature. When using an inflatable boat, it is a good idea to keep an emergency rubber repair kit close at hand. This should be something you have on your supply list. Rubber glue is useful for bonding various materials in addition to those quick fixes. For instance, using a good rubber adhesive, the foam rubber we previously mentioned can be easily bonded to other materials.

Rubber glue is also useful when making models. The rubber adhesive can be applied precisely, and the results are long-lasting. Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE Glue), also known as thermoplastic rubbers, resemble rubber in some ways but are reprocessable, remolded, and recyclable. It is challenging to bond TPE glue products because they typically have a smooth, non-slip surface. Rubber adhesives, however, can still be utilized because of their good wetting characteristics and ability to adhere to this kind of material.

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