It can be difficult to find the perfect material for a crafts project, and it is extremely important to find out whether a material is flammable or not. There are not many occasions when you need to work with glue around a flame or high temperatures, but if you do, this may be something valuable to find out.
Elmer’s Glue is flammable, according to its material data safety sheet, but it runs a much lower risk of igniting compared to similar compounds such as superglue. Once dry, it is much less flammable than when wet. For high temperatures, Elmer’s Glue makes an ideal adhesive.
This article will talk about the flammability of Elmer’s Glue, as well as other comparable adhesives that might be used to substitute.
Is Glue Flammable?
Generally speaking, most glues are at least slightly flammable, but some are more prone to igniting near ignition sources and areas of high temperature than others. When dry, most glues are safe from catching on fire, but there are some notable exceptions that we will be touching on later.
Is Super Glue Flammable?
Super glue is extremely flammable and should be kept away from extremely high temperatures and flames that can potentially cause the super glue to combust and catch on fire. Super glue is one of those glues that burns when wet or dry, so be careful when using it and storing glued items near flames.
Another important mention is that super glue emits toxic fumes when it combusts, so do not breathe any in if super glue happens to ignite near you.
Is Gorilla Glue Flammable?
Another popular adhesive that many people turn to is Gorilla Glue, but many people do not know that Gorilla Glue is extremely flammable and will combust if an open flame gets too close. Dangerous vapours may come from the flame, including poisonous isocyanate vapor.
The good news about Gorilla Glue is that unlike super glue, it is not flammable once it dries. This may make it more useful than super glue if you really need something to hold together, and it may come near an open flame at some point.
Elmer’s Glue and Heat
While we have established that Elmer’s Glue is somewhat flammable, another important note is that it loses its bond strength when it goes above 80 degrees Fahrenheit. A surprising anecdote is that Elmer’s Glue supposedly alleviates some symptoms of burns, but that is not supported by any official sources and should only be done at your own risk.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the white liquid Elmer’s Glue is separate from the clear Elmer’s Glue that often comes packaged in small glue sticks. This latter kind of glue is very flammable when wet but less so when dry.
Is Nail Glue Flammable?
Nail glues are very flammable when wet, like other types of glue. Once dry, it is generally not flammable. Nail glue emits toxic fumes when it burns, like superglue and Gorilla Glue. However, some latex-based nail glue variants do not emit toxic fumes when it combusts.
Adhesives for High Temperatures
If you need to apply adhesive to an object with a high temperature for some reason, or the object is near high temperatures frequently, you have plenty of options.
Generally, Gorilla Glue is safe around high temperatures (NOT flames) when it is dry. Naturally, you want to make sure that there are not any open flames near the glue’s bottle or the wet glue itself, or you run the risk of toxic fumes.
Another great choice is Krazy Glue, which is heat resistant when dry. Before it is dry, it is flammable when exposed to open flame, so keep that in mind when applying. Krazy Glue’s advantage compared to epoxy is that it dries and cures much faster, albeit with a comparatively weaker bond.
JB Weld Epoxy and other epoxy types are very nearly ideal products when looking for heat resistance in a product. These epoxies may dry slower than most glues. Still, they bond much stronger and can withstand high fluctuations in temperature – an example is that JB Weld and other epoxies are often used as temporary repair solutions for car engines.
Final Thoughts
While many types of glue are extremely flammable, Elmer’s Glue is much safer and has a lower risk of igniting near an open flame. The bond strength does break down in high temperatures, but that is not an issue if your project will primarily be at room temperature most of the time.