Activators

Activators and accelerators are essential chemicals used with adhesives to initiate and speed up the curing process. Activators are catalytic agents that play a crucial role in the chemical curing process, while accelerators are typically used to achieve fast fixture times in high-speed manufacturing environments or to overcome substrate challenges, such as bonding materials with low surface energy. These chemicals can be applied using a brush or aerosol spray.

It's important to keep the activators and adhesives separate until curing is desired, as the curing process can begin quickly once they come into contact. One common method is to apply the activator or accelerator to one substrate and the adhesive to the other. When the parts are mated, the adhesive and chemical will naturally mix. In some cases, accelerators can be sprayed onto the part just before mating to speed up the curing process, after carefully applying the adhesive first.

However, there are trade-offs with using accelerators. Generally, the longer the curing time, the stronger the bond. Accelerators may cause adhesives to cure and harden before they have fully connected with the substrate, especially when working with porous materials that require more time to integrate the adhesive with the surface.