EVERYDAY MATERIALSAtlas
Material behaviour

Adhesion & bonding

Make unlike surfaces work together.

What it means

Adhesion joins surfaces through interactions at their interface, while cohesion is the strength within a material itself. Wetting, surface preparation, chemistry and curing affect a bond. A successful adhesive must also accommodate moisture, heat and repeated loads. Strong bonds during use can complicate repair and material separation later.

Look for it in everyday life.

Epoxy can bond components and hold reinforcing fibres; EVA encapsulants help support and protect cells in some solar modules.

Meet it in a material.

EVA

The link between a cushioned step and a protected solar cell.

Polymers

Epoxy resin

The binder that makes separate parts act together.

Polymers

Plywood

Thin layers share the work in different directions.

Composites

Cement

A reactive powder that binds a composite.

Glass & ceramics

Follow the evidence

Original explanations informed by the sources below. Technical and industry sources support material behaviour; industry environmental marketing is not treated as a universal comparison. Read our editorial method.