All That You Need to Know About Windshield Adhesives

The car windshield plays an essential role in vehicle safety. Not only does it prevent outside elements from entering the vehicle, but it also provides structural stability to your car. The car windshield is a crucial safety component that helps in protecting you and fellow passengers in the event of an accident. During an accident, the windshield also helps in airbag deployment. Your car windshield even acts as a protective shield that stops you from being thrown out of the vehicle.

However, various factors can damage your car windshield, and if that happens, it is of utmost importance that you get it fixed immediately. Some damages cannot be fixed by a simple repair and warrant windshield replacement. When it comes to car windshield replacement, using the right adhesive is what determines the success of the process.

What is an Adhesive?

To know what a car windshield adhesive is, first, you need to understand the difference between adhesives and sealants. Adhesives are used to bind two unlike or different bodies together, for example - glass and metal. On the other hand, sealants have chemicals that form a hard water-proof coating, which helps fill gaps and prevent the entry of water. Your car windshield is held in place with the help of a premium adhesive. The adhesive is applied between the laminated windshield glass and the frame. The primary purpose of an adhesive is to provide the strength to hold the car windshield in an accident or collision for passenger safety.

Importance of a High-Quality Adhesive

A high-quality adhesive is an essential requirement for your car windshield to provide you optimum safety. If the adhesive is not of good quality, the bond between the windshield glass and the car won’t be strong, meaning the windshield could suddenly come off during accidents. The implication of this will be that the windshield will be unable to prevent your ejection from the car, help in proper airbag deployment, or stop the roof from collapsing. Simply put, it will be unable to perform any of the safety functions for which it is installed. Moreover, using incorrect, cheap, or low-quality adhesives can make your car unsafe to drive as it could be mortally hazardous for you in the event of an accident.

Why Polyurethane is the Recommended Choice?

Although there are many types of adhesives available in the market, polyurethane or just urethane, is the most widely used adhesive in the automotive industry. This is because polyurethane can provide high-performance bonding applications for your car windshield.

Polyurethane is 90 times stronger than a silicone sealant. It is also the OEM-recommended adhesive type. In case of an accident, polyurethane prevents your car windshield from coming out of the frame or caving in and collapsing on you during a rollover. It also has extraordinary elasticity, better elongation, and is incredibly tough and abrasion-resistant. Polyurethane is also favoured due to its durability. Silicone usually gets softened by high temperature and humidity, but polyurethane adhesives, on the other hand, can retain their long-term strength even after being exposed to heat, humidity, cold, or rain.