A retaining compound’s primary function is to securely bond bearings, bushes and cylindrical parts into housings or on shafts. A type of anaerobic adhesive that cures with the absence of air and the presence of an active metal, retaining compounds have a broad range of industrial applications, finding uses wherever joined components require high strength bonding and sealing solutions.
This question ultimately comes back to the application at hand and the substrate the adhesive is being used on.
Retaining compounds are typically higher strength and designed specifically for bonding cylindrical components that must resist usually torque and compressive loads.
Threadlockers, however, are designed to prevent self-loosening, leakage, and corrosion of threaded fasteners. Choosing the correct type of adhesive is crucial within aerospace, automotive, rail, and heavy machinery applications, but when high strength bonding is required, retaining compounds are generally the right choice.
Three factors need to be considered when selecting a retaining compound for a particular application.
Like other anaerobic adhesives in the Loctite portfolio, retaining compounds are designed to fill small gaps and surface irregularities. Loctite retaining compounds are available in a range of viscosities, with some specialist grades capable of filling gaps up to 0.5mm:
Similarly to threadlockers, retaining compounds offer both high strength (for permanent bonds) and medium strength (for future disassembly). High strength retaining compounds offer a higher shear and compressive strength and can also be used in applications with high torsional loads.
Most Loctite retaining compounds offer a service temperature range between -55°C and 150°C. However, certain products are able to withstand higher temperatures (between 180°C and 230°C) for applications subject to more extreme heat.
ELIMINATE LOOSENING AND LEAKAGE. PREVENT FAILURE WITH LOCTITE 603.
Traditional methods for fastening cylindrical parts cause loosening and leakage. Loctite 603 can help.
With infinite microscopic imperfections that exist on even the most precisely machined surfaces, cylindrical parts are at high risk for loosening and leaking. Interference fits typically have only 20-40% effective contact area, which is limited to the peaks left behind by machining processes.
Micro-movement during dynamic loading can shear these away, allowing the joint to fail. Fixing these failures not only causes downtime, but is expensive.
Benefits:
Properties:
General Purpose
Badly Worn Assemblies
High Temperature
Applications Requiring Disassembly
White Label Health & Safety
Find the right retaining compound for your application.
For gaps up to 0.15 mm, lower viscosity retaining compounds are suitable, often used for tight-fitting interference fits like press and shrink fits. Gaps between 0.15 to 0.25 mm require retaining compounds with higher viscosities to allow better gap fill, including bonded slip fits. Assemblies with larger gaps, typically between 0.25 to 0.5 mm, may need special paste-like compounds, especially for worn parts.
Most Loctite retaining compounds are able to withstand temperatures of -55 to 150 °C. However, certain chemistries are available that withstand temperatures up to 180 to 230 °C for assemblies which see higher service temperatures.
