How to Bond Glass to Glass is asked so frequently to the representatives of C-Tec, that it’s quite unbelievable…or is it? There is, and always has been, so many different adhesives proclaiming to stick these materials, but why are there so many and how do they perform?
Adhering these materials is quite difficult due to the composition and smoothness of the Glass. This is one of the primary reasons why bonding this material is so difficult. Because the Glass is so incredibly smooth with a polished finish, this heavily restricts an adhesive from being able to create a lasting bond between the two pieces. The adhesive most commonly used to stick this is a two component epoxy. This is the preferred adhesive for this application. There are several variations, but they work to the same principal, the hardener which contains solvents etches into the Glass allowing a bond to be created between them. However this type of glue has a huge disadvantage, it cures to a hard mass which lacks flexibility, therefore resulting in the Glass moving when exposed to temperature change, often resulting in cracks.
Another common adhesive for sticking these resources is a cyanoacrylate or superglue, as it’s known. Even though superglue could achieve a decent enough glue it still has the same disadvantages as the epoxy. When sticking these materials together, quite a large number of people have opted to use a silicone sealant/adhesive. This doesn’t have the disadvantages of the superglue or epoxy types as it remains flexible. For small surfaces this could fulfil the task of sticking these materials, however, in much larger pieces this will not do as the silicone lacks bonding strength resulting in the bond giving way.
The ultimate product for bonding is the unique CT1 sealant and construction adhesive. It contains no solvents but remains flexible when cured due to its unique hybrid polymer formulation. This will create a formidable bond. CT1, as already outlined, will move with the Glass due to its incredible flexibility. Not only is it effective for attaching but also equally challenging applications such as Glass to Metal & Wood, bonding to almost anything.
A common assumption when sticking these materials is that everything is clean, even if it looks clean, it may not be the case as there can be a hidden film on the Glass. The ideal product for preparing the Glass is the CT1 Multisolve; Multisolve will clean without etching and evaporate 100%. Multisolve is fantastic for removing old stickers or silicone from Glass.