Technical / FAQs
Q: What kind of adhesives does Superior Stone Products
manufacture?
A: Polyesters, Acrylics, Epoxies, Poly-Epoxy
and Color Pastes are all manufactured at
our location in Byron Center, Michigan.
Q: Many companies make adhesives, what makes yours
special?
A: Superior Adhesives are the industry benchmark.
Our products have the fastest cure
times, the longest shelf life and are clearer than any other
adhesives. The reaction
time for our Polyesters is 4-6 minutes (also called gel time)
and a 10-20 minute cure
time. This allows fabricators the opportunity to complete
more jobs which results in
more profit. There will be no time wasted having to leave
the job site while waiting
for the adhesive to cure. Although our adhesives rarely stay
on anybody’s shelf for
very long, they have a longer shelf life than any competitor.
Also, no other company
makes glue as clear as ours. This makes it ideal for invisible
seams and allows for
perfect color matching when adding our color paste.
Q: Which is the best adhesive to use for laminating
granite?
A: About 80% of all granite laminations are
done with Polyesters. However, increased
usage of automatic edge polishers and CNC machines is causing
some
problems. The pressure of these machines is so great that
lamination failures have
increased. In these instances, we suggest using Poly-Epoxy,
Acrylic or Epoxy.
Q: Can polyester adhesives be used outdoors?
A: Superior Polyesters should only be used
indoors. For UV stability in outdoor
applications, we suggest using Superior Acrylics or Superior
Epoxies.
Q: What should I use for filling porous stones such
as Travertine or Limestone?
A: Our Polyester Filled products are excellent for filling
porous stones. Calcium
Carbonate has been added to the adhesive so the adhesive polishes
to the same
shine as the stone. We offer Buff, White, Black, Travertine
and Limestone and our
color paste is available to help match other colors.
Q: What is your Water Clear Polyester used for?
A: The primary use of this product is for Carrara Marble.
By adding drops of white color
paste it maintains the translucent look of White Carrara stone.
Q: What is Rodding Glue used for?
A: Rodding Glue is used for adhering steel rods in to grooves
on the back of the stone
for supporting weak spots such as sink cutouts and soft veined
stones.
Q: At a trade show, I overheard people discussing
“thin film” when referring to
adhesives but I didn’t understand what they were talking
about. What is
“thin film”?
A: The layer of adhesive between two pieces of stone is the
“thin film”. All of our
products cure to a very hard “thin film” which
allows the cured adhesive to polish
with the stone. Most of our competitor’s products are
very flexible in “thin film” cure
which means they never fully cure. This will cause your grinding
and polishing tools
to gum up and results in a poor polish that leaves a dull
visible line.
Q: What makes Superior Acrylic adhesives better for
laminating and seaming?
A: Superior Acrylics “chemically” bond with natural
stone. Along with mechanical
bonding, a chemical reaction occurs between the adhesive resin
and the minerals of
the stone creating a tight, permanent bond.
Q: Can Superior Acrylic adhesives be used outdoors?
A: Yes, Superior Acrylics have excellent UV stability and
is fast curing even in colder
temperatures.
Q: Should we use Superior Acrylic adhesives when
we are going to put the
stone through a CNC or an edge polishing machine?
A: Yes, Superior Acrylics have superior bonding strength and
can withstand the
pressures of CNC and edge polishing machines. When two pieces
of stone are
joined together using Superior Acrylics, the stone would break
before the adhesive
bond would fail.
Q: Does Superior make a product that solidifies stones
that might be softer
or have fine cracks and fissures?
A: Yes, Superior Acrylic Penetrating is water-thin in consistency
which enables it to
penetrate deep into the stone before curing. While curing,
it consolidates and
compacts stone with fine cracks and fissures. Superior Acrylic
Penetrating can
be used for indoor and outdoor applications.
Q: What makes Superior Epoxies different than Superior
Acrylics and
Polyester Adhesives?
A: Like Superior Acrylics, Superior Epoxies “chemically”
and “mechanically” bond with
stone and are excellent for outdoor applications. Superior
Epoxies can be used for
structural anchoring and supporting systems. Superior Epoxies
are the strongest
glues and best adhesives to adhere two dissimilar items together.
Q: How do I avoid confusion as to what ratio to mix
my Superior Epoxies?
A: Superior manufactures both 1:1 and 2:1 Epoxies. Superior
Epoxies are shipped in
matching quantities. (For example, if you need 6 quarts of
1:1, we will ship 6 Part A
and 6 Part B. If you need 3 gallons of 2:1 we will ship 6
Part A and 3 Part B. The
labels are clearly marked to make it even easier).
Q: Why do you make Epoxies that have two different
mixing ratios?
A: We offer both 1:1 and 2:1 in an effort to satisfy the needs
of our customers. For
decades, fabricators were using 2:1 ratios but there were
always people wishing it
could be simpler so we introduced the 1:1 ratio. Whether it
is 1:1 or 2:1, you
never add more of either Part A or Part B than what is instructed.
Q: I heard from a supplier that you offer a Poly-Epoxy.
What is that?
A: Superior Stone Products is the only company in the USA
manufacturing
Poly-Epoxy. A blend of our Polyester and Epoxy resins, Superior
Poly-Epoxy
provides a stronger bonding strength than standard Polyester.
Q: Is Superior Poly-Epoxy mixed using a standard
2:1 ratio?
A: No, Superior Poly-Epoxy requires the use of BPO which is
the same catalyst used
with our Polyesters and Acrylics. Superior Poly-Epoxy has
a 4-5 minute gel time and
a cure time of 20-30 minutes.
Q: What is BPO and how is it used?
A: BPO (Benzyl Peroxide), also known as White Hardening Paste,
is the catalyst added
to Polyester and Acrylic Adhesives to make it harden. Normal
usage is 2%-4% by
volume. NEVER use more or less BPO than instructed. Rule of
thumb: A pea size
application of BPO to a golf ball size amount of adhesive.
Q: Sometimes I need extra hardener (BPO), can I purchase
hardener only?
A: Yes. Superior Stone Products includes the correct amount
of hardener with each
shipment of adhesives. We urge you to adhere to the ratios
listed on the containers
when adding hardener. Too much hardener will cause the adhesive
to burn and
become brittle which can cause lamination failures. Our adhesives
are very reactive
and do not require extra hardener even in cold temperatures.
Our hardener is
available in 1 oz. and 4 oz. tubes.
Q: Does Superior offer coloring paste for adhesives?
A: Yes, Superior Stone Products manufactures color paste that
is mixed with our
resin technology to stabilize the shelf life and allows it
to blend better with our
adhesives. We offer (1oz. tubes) (2oz. bottles) (8oz. bottles)
and (1 gallon bottles) in
the following colors: Black, White, Red, Red-Brown, Green,
Blue, Brown, Ochre,
Buff and Gray. ***Note: always add color paste before adding
the hardener***
Q: What is the average shelf life of Superior Adhesives?
A: Typically, Superior Polyesters sustain a shelf life of
3-4 years. Superior Acrylics
sustain a shelf life of at least 1 year and Superior Epoxies
and Poly-Epoxy will
sustain a shelf life of 2-3 years. Water-Clear Polyesters
sustain a shelf life of 1 year.
The shelf life estimates are dependent on a controlled climate.
Extreme heat or cold
will have a negative effect on the quality and shelf life
of our adhesives.
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