Industrial adhesives compared: epoxy, cyanoacrylate, anaerobic, UV, MMA. Which adhesive for which application?

Epoxy, cyanoacrylate, anaerobic, UV or MMA, which industrial adhesive is right for your application? This guide compares the five key adhesive technologies in terms of strength, cure time, temperature resistance, and substrate compatibility.

Why the right adhesive choice is crucial

An incorrectly selected adhesive costs more than just material; it costs production time, complaints , and in the worst case, safety risks. The five dominant adhesive technologies in industry differ fundamentally in their properties. No adhesive is universally the best, but for every application there is an optimal candidate.

The 5 Adhesive Technologies at a Glance

1. Epoxy Adhesives: The All-Rounder

When to Choose Epoxy

When maximum strength, chemical resistance and temperature stability are required. Epoxy adhesives are the first choice for structural bonds intended to replace mechanical connections.

Typical Applications

Magnet bonding in electric motors, structural bonding in aircraft construction, electronic potting, composite bonding (CFRP/GFRP), tool making.

Our range

Permabond ET series (high strength, 1K and 2K), ES series (standard), Double/Bubble (pre-portioned 2K capsules). → All 127 epoxy adhesives

2. Cyanoacrylate: The Fast One

When to choose cyanoacrylate

When speed matters and the bond gap is tight (

Typical Applications

Rubber-metal bonding (gaskets, O-rings), assembly of small parts, fixation before welding, maintenance repairs.

Important to know

Cyanoacrylates are not gap-filling and not impact-resistant. They are unsuitable for joints under vibration or impact. Specially formulated «rubber-toughened» variants (Permabond 731/737) offer improved impact resistance.

→ All 35 Cyanoacrylates

3. Anaerobic adhesives: The metal specialist

When to Choose Anaerobic

For metal-to-metal connections under exclusion of air: thread locking, flange sealing, shaft-hub fitting, pipe sealing. Anaerobics are the most cost-effective solution for these specific applications.

Strength classes

Low strength: Removable by hand, for adjustment screws. Medium strength: Removable with tools, for standard threaded fasteners. High strength: Removable only with heat (>200 °C), for safety-critical joints.

→ All 29 anaerobic adhesives

4. UV-curing adhesives: The precise choice

When to choose UV

When at least one substrate is UV-transparent (glass, clear plastic) and fast, controllable curing is required. The adhesive remains liquid until targeted UV exposure, ideal for positioning work.

Typical Applications

Glass-to-glass bonding, glass furniture, optics and lenses, medical technology (cannulas, catheters), display bonding, LED bonding.

→ All 29 UV adhesives

5. MMA Structural Adhesives: The Robust One

When to choose MMA

When impact resistance is more important than shear strength, and when bonding must be done on untreated or slightly contaminated surfaces . MMA adhesives are more tolerant of surface contamination than epoxies.

Typical Applications

Composite bonding (GRP boats, wind turbine blades), aluminum structural bonding, plastic-metal joints, sign bonding.

→ All 17 Structural Adhesives

Decision tree: The right adhesive in 4 questions

1. Are both substrates metal? → Anaerobic (for threads/flanges) or epoxy (for surfaces)
2. Is one substrate transparent? → UV-curing
3. Do you need impact resistance? → MMA structural adhesive
4. Do you need immediate fixation? → Cyanoacrylate
5. None of these? → Epoxy (2K, room temperature curing)

Permabond vs. Loctite: Is there a difference?

Both manufacturers offer comparable technologies. Permabond is often more cost-effective at the same performance and offers formulations that are not available from Loctite (e.g., special elastomer-modified cyanoacrylates). We carry both brands and offer a detailed comparison table with equivalents .

→ To the Permabond vs. Loctite comparison