1. Adhesion phenomena and adhesive setting

1.1 Glues and adhesives

An adhesive is a chemical product used to join two materials. Whether liquid or solid, it is applied in a fluid state to the material(s) to be joined, where it must first adhere through various physico-chemical phenomena that we will now examine: this is the phenomenon of adhesion.

The materials are then joined together, and the glue hardens or dries, through various physical or chemical phenomena; this is known as curing or drying, or glue setting.

Glues and adhesives are therefore characterized by two essential elements: adhesion and final cohesion.

These include traditional glues such as starch-, dextrin- or animal-based glues (casein), as well as classic synthetic glues such as vinyl,...