two surfaces together in a strong and permanent manner. Sealant—a substance capable of attaching to at least two surfaces, thereby, filling the space between them to provide a barrier or protective coating. Adhesives and sealants also share several common characteristics. 1. They must behave as a liquid, at some time in the course of bond formation, in order to flow over and wet (make intimate contact with) the adherends. 2. They form surface attachment through adhesion (the development of intermolecular forces). 3. They must harden to carry sometimes continuous, sometimes variable load throughout their lives. 4. They transfer and distribute load among the components in an assembly. 5. They must fill gaps, cavities, and spaces. 6. They must work with other components of the assembly to provide a durable product. ·0 Adhesives are chosen for their holding and bonding power. They are generally materials having high shear and tensile strength. ·1 Structural adhesive is a term generally used to define an adhesive whose strength is critical to the success of the assembly. This term is usually reserved to describe adhesives with high shear strength (in excess of 1,000 pounds per square inch or psi) and good environmental resistance. Examples of structural adhesives are epoxy, thermosetting acrylic, and urethane systems. ·2 Structural adhesives are usually expected to last the life of the product to which they are applied. Non-structural adhesives are adhesives with much lower strength and permanence. They are generally used for temporary fastening or to bond weak substrates. Examples of non-structural adhesives are pressure sensitive films, wood glue, elastomers, and sealants. Sealants are generally chosen for their ability to fill gaps, resist relative movement of the substrates, and exclude or contain another material. They are generally lower in strength than adhesives, but have better flexibility. Common sealants include urethanes, silicones, and acrylic systems. Both adhesives and sealants function primarily by the property of adhesion. Adhesion is the attraction of two different substances resulting from intermolecular forces between the substances. This is distinctly different from cohesion, which involves only the intermolecular attractive forces within a single substance. The intermolecular forces acting in both adhesion and cohesion are primarily van der Waals forces. The following items contribute to a ‘‘hidden cost’’ of using adhesives, and they also could contribute to serious production difficulties: ·3 The storage life of the adhesive may be unrealistically short; some adhesives require refrigerated storage. ·4 The adhesive may begin to solidify before the worker is ready. ·5 The cost of surface preparation and primers, if necessary, must be considered. ·6 Ease of handling, waste, and reproducibility can be essential cost factors. ·7 Cleanup is a cost factor, especially where misapplied adhesive may ruin the appearance of a product. ·8 Once bonded, samples cannot easily be disassembled; if misalignment occurs and the adhesive cures, usually the part must be scrapped. Functions of Sealants Sealants are generally used as a barrier or a means of protection. In this way, sealants are used to exclude dust, dirt, moisture, and chemicals or to contain a liquid or gas. They are also often used as a coating to protect a surface or an article. They can exclude noise and vibration, improve appearance, and perform a joining function. Certain sealants, like adhesives, can be used to assemble parts, and many adhesives can be used to seal. Sealants can also be used as electrical or thermal insulators, fire barriers, and as products for smoothing, filleting or faying. No matter what the application, a sealant has three basic functions: 1. It fills a gap between two or more substrates 2. It forms a barrier by the physical properties of the sealant itself and by its adhesion to the substrate 3. It maintains its sealing property for the expected lifetime, service conditions, and environments.