Glue is an adhesive, but not all adhesives are glues. Glues are derived from natural sources (plant and animal byproducts), while adhesives are synthetic. But in everyday usage, the words are practically synonymous. Manufacturers use them interchangeably, and so do we.

Pressure sensitivity Hot melt PSAs can adhere securely to a substrate with nothing other than contact and the application of pressure. Generally speaking, the more pressure is applied, the better the adhesion will be.

The vast majority of applications in the modern world will require reactive adhesives. These are easier to use and can be applied in a single step. Non-reactive adhesives are generally used while hot; it is the cooling process that hardens the bond, rather than a chemical reaction.

Contact adhesives offer you a wide range of possibilities for bonding various materials. For example, you can glue together carpets, vinyl, leather, cardboard, rubber and various soft materials with this sort of adhesive. Contact adhesives are often used in materials with high shear strength, such as laminates.