Whenever you decide to purchase a two-part or single-part adhesive, there is a need to fully understand the product. It is important to check technical data sheets for pertinent information to assist you in the role, strength, ratio, pot life, and shelf life of the product you have selected.

Today, we want to dive into the differences between shelf life, pot life, and working life. Not only do they mean different things, but distinguishing between them could mean a successful or failed project thanks to expired adhesives.

Shelf Life

A product’s shelf life is how it sounds – how long a product will last just sitting on the shelf, unopened. This is a particularly helpful piece of information for warehouses looking to keep a supply of the product ready for purchase. The shelf life refers to the length of time from the date of manufacture that the product is under warranty based on a technical data sheet.

However, the warranty implies that all other environmental requirements are met to keep the product intact for the intended length of time. Storing the material properly is important; that could be in temperature-regulated areas, or the product could need to be refrigerated or away from sunlight, or even just left out standing upright. The length of a product’s shelf life usually starts at date of manufacture, plus the receiving date.  Some materials tend to be 6 months to one year, or two at most.

Pot Life

A product’s pot life is dramatically different than its shelf life. The pot life refers to the amount of time it takes for the product’s initial mixed viscosity to double. Of course, this test has several variations that can occur, including the mass of the product and the temperature at which the test is conducted. Simply put, this is the length of time in which adhesives or coatings can be applied on a surface.  Pot life begins when the mixing is complete and ends when the mix is unsuitable for application.

Failure in pot life is due to inadequate mixing of the product or if the material sits for too long after mixing. Pot life also depends on different materials being bonded. Knowing the pot life of a product is useful for scenarios in which an adhesive must be mixed and let sit for a certain amount of time before application. This will affect the speed at which a project can be completed.

Working Life

The working life of a product is the amount of time the viscosity stays low enough to be applied to a surface with accuracy before it begins to cure. Again, this depends on a multitude of factors, such as temperature, sun exposure, humidity levels, and more.

Every adhesive has a different shelf life, pot life, and working life, and it’s important to understand how these factors can affect the products you use in your products. Want to learn more about our products’ shelf, pot, and working lives? Our representatives are here to help! Give us a call, toll-free, at 1-800-220-1966 or send us an email at sales@chemical-concepts.com. We look forward to hearing from you!