TECHNICAL DATA SHEET

ALCOLIN WATERPROOF GLUE

Description
ALCOLIN WATERPROOF GLUE is a one-component professional-strength,
waterproof polyurethane adhesive specifically designed for assembly work and
for use with hardwoods, softwoods and non-flammable building boards. It is
also specially suited for window-frame stock, windows and shutters ALCOLIN
WATERPROOF GLUE provides a longer open time than PVA glues, offers good
sandability and is unaffected by finishes. As moisture causes the glue to foam, it
has the ability to fill gaps and bridge irregularities in the substrates. It works well
on exotic or oily woods and will not become brittle with age. The non-brittle
glue line is ideal for bonding dissimilar materials

Features and benefits

 100% waterproof - passes EN12765 C4 water-resistance
 Epoxy like strength - bond stronger than wood
 Outstanding versatility - excellent for bonding dissimilar substrates, oily woods
 Good creep resistance - ideal for high stress joints in found in tables and chairs
 Tough glue line - excellent sandability
 Chemical resistant - unaffected by finishes
 Long open time - more time for assembling of parts
 Excellent heat resistance - use in areas subject to heat up to 120°C
 Fast setting time - reduced clamp time, increasing turnaround time
 Gap filling - ideal for use where parts are not 100% flush fitting
 Fire resistant in accordance with EN 13501 - suitable for building of fire doors
 Solvent free - low VOC

Applications
 ALCOLIN WATERPROOF GLUE can be used for water-resistant and weatherproof bonding of wood-based
materials, stone, ceramic, insulation materials and concrete. It forms a complete waterproof bond making it
ideal for all exterior applications where a waterproof and/weatherproof joint is required.
 Suitable for applications below the waterline. Ideal for marine applications such as boat building
 Excellent for exterior furniture and doors, window frame assembly, shutters, garage doors, parquet flooring,
cutting blocks, bent wood laminations, table tops, birdhouses, etc
 Ideal for interior furniture with frequent long-term exposure to running or condensed water and high
humidity e.g. sauna rooms
 Excellent for bonding composites together, such as polystyrene to metal, wood to metal, plywood to
concrete, stone to tile, etc
 Suitable for assembly of non-flammable building boards to EN13501 (with appropriate materials and
constructions)
 Suitable for edge gluing, face gluing, doweling & general assembly

Adhesion
ALCOLIN WATERPROOF GLUE displays excellent adhesion to a variety of materials. In addition to its superior
wood-to-wood performance where it is suitable for softwoods, hardwoods and oily exotics, it is ideal for
processed boards composites (hardboard, chipboard, supawood, high pressure laminates), metal, ceramic, most
plastics, Corian, stone and other porous/non-porous materials

PJ/D181/Issue 04/March 2015/Waterproof Glue Page 1 of 4 Next Revision: Nov 2018

 TECHNICAL DATA SHEET

Performance properties – industry standards

 EN12765 C4 water-resistance
 Fire resistant in accordance with EN 13501

Limitations
ALCOLIN WATERPROOF GLUE is not for structural applications below the waterline. For ease of application, the
glue, temperature and materials to be bonded should be above 10°C. Freezing will not affect the performance
of the product but may cause it to thicken. Agitation should restore product to original form. Compatibility tests
must be conducted with hardwoods and tropical woods, especially for outdoor applications

Safety instructions
When working with ALCOLIN WATERPROOF GLUE, it is advisable to wear gloves in order to avoid direct contact
with the skin. Contact may temporarily stain skin. Although the product is non-toxic, safe handling practices
should still be implemented to avoid irritating sensitive skin. If glue comes in contact with eyes, flush thoroughly
and immediately with water for at least 15 minutes. Seek medical attention. For skin, wash thoroughly with soap
and water. Refer to our Material Safety Data Sheets for further toxicological information and comprehensive
handling instructions

Surface preparation
The surface must be clean, dry, and free from all loose materials, dust, dirt, rust and any other contaminants.
When working with woods that are oily or high in tannic acid, wipe the joints with acetone before gluing.
Acetone clears the contaminants from the wood pores on the bonding surface and dries quickly without leaving
any residue. When working with non-porous surfaces such as plastic or metal, it helps to roughen the surface
and moisten it before applying the glue. If the surface is thick enough on the non-porous surface, you may
consider drilling some small holes to give the glue a greater mechanical hold
For the best result, planing of the wood should take place within 24 hours of gluing. After this time, the cell
structure of the wood closes, which may significantly reduce the ability of the glue to penetrate sufficiently,
resulting in a poor bond
The moisture content of the wood should be between 8 – 18%. Wood of higher moisture content up to 25% can
be successfully bonded, however, one is cautioned that high moisture contents can lead to risk of delamination
and wood splitting due to shrinkage of the wood on either side of the bond-line. Because ALCOLIN
WATERPROOF GLUE needs moisture to cure, lightly dampen the joint with water before gluing. For dense
woods, lightly dampen both surfaces prior to gluing. This helps open up the pores of wood and speeds up the
cuing process.
To avoid wood shrinkage or swelling after processing, it is very important to ensure that the wood is dried to a
moisture content corresponding to the equilibrium moisture content (EMC) at the site where the article will be
used. EMC is the moisture content of the wood that corresponds to a given relative humidity. If the moisture
content of the wood is higher than EMC, it will lose moisture until it reaches EMC. A corresponding shrinkage in
the wood will occur which may result in delamination along the glue line and/or wood splitting. Consult with
your Alcolin Rep for further information
To prevent “stepped joints”, it is important to ensure that all the wood has similar moisture content. This can
be achieved by allowing the wood to acclimatize in your shop for 7 – 14 days
Care should be taken to ensure a tight fit between wood pieces with no saw marks and no burnishing of the
surfaces to be glued
Poor surface preparation may result in the delamination of the glued joint

PJ/D181/Issue 04/March 2015/Waterproof Glue Page 2 of 4 Next Revision: Nov 2018

 TECHNICAL DATA SHEET
Directions for use
 Ensure that surfaces are prepared as above and ensure that all joints fit tightly
 For a successful gluing operation, consideration must be given to each of the following points discussed
below: Glue spread rate, Assembly time, Press time, temperature & pressure, and Post press conditioning
 Apply glue with a roller, wheel, toothed trowel or brush. Apply a Spread Rate of approximately 200g/m2 (glue
“squeeze out” should be seen coming from the joint). The glue spread rate is dependent on the object of
gluing and the wood species, and must be determined in each specific case. When gluing hard and oily wood
species, the substrates should be newly planed and the adhesive should be spread on both surfaces.
Veneering applications will require a lower spread rate of approximately 100g/m2
 The assembly time refers to the time lapse between glue spreading and application of pressure. In the case of
WATERPROOF GLUE, this is approx 15min at 20°C and 65% relative humidity. It is recommended that only the
amount of adhesive that can be used within this time be applied at any one time. The assembly time is
influenced by the glue-spread rate, environmental conditions and wood species. Assembly time is increased
cold weather, low humidity; high spread rate and high-density wood species
 Press time is dependent on wood species, moisture content and environmental conditions. Cold
temperatures and higher humidity levels may require longer press times. Denser wood species and those
with higher moisture content will also require longer press times. We recommend pressing an unstressed
joint for 45 minutes to an hour. Stressed joints, such as bent laminations, need to be pressed for 24 hours
 Press temperatures can be set to ambient room temperature. Temperature in the glue line can be between
10 - 30°C. Use of the adhesive below 10°C, the adhesive will be difficult to apply, and the curing time will be
long.
 Appropriate press pressure is essential for a successful bond. Sufficient press pressure is required to bring
the joint tightly together. Too high pressure and short assembly times when gluing hard wood species may
cause the glue to be squeezed out of the glue line, resulting in glue starvation and delamination. Too little
pressure will not bring the surfaces together closely enough to form a strong bond along the glue line. 100-
150 psi (7-10 bar or kg/cm2) is recommended for soft woods, 125-175 psi (9-12 bar or kg/cm2) for medium
woods, and 175-250 (12 – 17 bar or kg/cm2) for hardwoods. Clamps should be positioned a minimum of 4cm
away from the sides, and evenly spaced at 20-30cm throughout the piece.
 Glue joint “squeeze out” may make the area around the joint difficult to stain. Although sanding the area will
help, we recommend using masking tape to cover the areas that you do not want exposed to glue. Remove
excess glue immediately by wiping with a clean damp cloth
 Post Press Conditioning : after a minimum clamping period, the panel will develop enough handling strength
to permit it to be removed from the press. Further processing can be done after 2 hours. A storage period of
3-4 days may be required to eliminate sunken joints caused by residual moisture in the glue line

Cleaning
 Machines and tools can be cleaned with water. Warm soapy water or use of acetone will increase
cleaning effectiveness. Dried glue will need to be mechanically chipped to remove
 Cleaning clamps, jigs, press platens and fixtures is much easier if equipment is regularly coated with ALCOLIN
RELEASE AGENT before using it. The release agent will prevent the adhesive from sticking to the equipment
and will help dried glue to flake off quickly and easily

Storage stability
ALCOLIN WATERPROOF GLUE has a shelf life of at least 9 months if stored in a cool (below 25°C), dry place in it’s
original moisture-tight container. The glue should not be stored below 0°C or above 30°C. Store container
upside down after opening. If the material is kept beyond the recommended shelf life, it is not necessarily
unusable. A check should be performed to observe whether the product has not thickened or shows signs of
bacterial degradation (bad smell, discoloration). To maximize shelf life of the opened container, ensure that the
packaging is closed to create an airtight environment when not in use. If the packaging is left open for long
periods, the glue will thicken and form a skin on the surface, which can damage pumps and block filters

PJ/D181/Issue 04/March 2015/Waterproof Glue Page 3 of 4 Next Revision: Nov 2018

 TECHNICAL DATA SHEET
Product packaging
 280mlcartridge

Physical data
Type Polyurethane, moisture curing
Appearance Viscous brown liquid drying to a beige rigid film
Density Approximately 1.14g/cm³
Solids Approximately 100%
Viscosity Approximately 11000cPs (#4/20rpm/20°C)

Application data*
Minimum application temperature 10°C
Application temperature 10 - 30°C
2
Spread rate Approximately 200 – 250g/m for assembly
2
Approximately 150 - 200g/m for laminating
2
Approximately 100 - 150g/m for veneering
Assembly time (20°C at 65% RH) Approximately 15 minutes

Press time (20°C at 65% RH) Unstressed joint s : 45 - 60 minutes

Stressed joints : 24 hours
Press pressure HPL : 3 – 6 Bar
Soft woods : 7 – 10 Bar
Medium woods : 9 – 12 Bar
Hard woods : 12 – 17 Bar
*Please refer to “Instructions for use” section for further details

Performance data
Glue line EN12765 C4 water-resistance
Fire resistant in accordance with EN 13501
Tensile strength (wood failure) 7.6N/mm2 (100%) – beech wood, 2hrs clamping; 24hrs condition
Heat resistance @ 90°C 5.9N/mm2 (0%) – beech wood, 2hrs clamping; 48hrs condition
Service temperature range -5°C to + 120°C
Chemical resistance Resists mild caustic solutions, acids, and solvents

The above information is only offered, as a guide to the use of this product. Furthermore, users should satisfy themselves that it
is suitable for their needs. Since we have no control over the conditions under which it is used, we cannot accept responsibility
for problems caused by the use and/or application of this product.
Head Office: +27(0)21 555 7400
Toll-Free No: 0800 222 400
Beverley Close, Montague Gardens, 7441
PO Box 37008, Chempet, 7442
www.alcolin.com

PJ/D181/Issue 04/March 2015/Waterproof Glue Page 4 of 4 Next Revision: Nov 2018