H.B. Fuller marine bonding solutions used by the Revel Sailing Team

In the marine sector, bonding and sealing means working in the presence of humidity, fresh and salt water, UV radiation, and constant stress. The chosen material must therefore maintain its function even when subjected to movement and variable environmental conditions.

This is why marine bonding starts first and foremost with the application. A marine sealant used on deck may have very different requirements compared to a material required to deform along with a moving component.

This logic is found in the projects of the Revel Sailing Team developed with the support of Mascherpa as part of the NEXT collaboration, where two H.B. Fuller solutions were used to address different technical problems.

Marine bonding: when the application drives the choice

Marine adhesives and marine sealants must adapt to different functions and operating conditions. The H.B. Fuller Marine range includes different technologies, including polyurethane systems and silane-modified polymer products.

However, the choice depends on what the joint must do. In some applications, speed and stability under external exposure are needed; in others, the material must follow deformation and movement without stiffening the component.

Two bonding requirements in Revel Sailing Team projects

The vessels developed by the Revel Sailing Team clearly show why there is no single adhesive suitable for every nautical need. On Alba, one of the requirements concerned the sealing and outfitting of the vessel. In the second case, it involved a moving component of Kraken’s foil, where the material’s ability to deform becomes part of the system’s operation.

Sealing inspection hatches and fixing deck equipment

Inspection hatches allow access to the interior of the vessel and must be correctly sealed after maintenance. During outfitting, it is also necessary to fix various elements of the deck equipment.

A marine adhesive sealant suitable for external exposure and capable of allowing rapid bonding, repair, and sealing operations was used.

To meet this need, Körapop 954 Marine was chosen, used for sealing inspection hatches and bonding deck equipment.

Filling the flap clearance without restricting movement

On Kraken’s foil, the requirement was completely different.

Between the wing and the flap, there is a functional clearance that must be filled without obstructing the movement of the component. A material was therefore needed that was capable of deforming with the system without creating an excessively rigid connection. The choice fell on Körapur 928 Marine, selected specifically for its high elongation at break.

Körapop 954 Marine for deck bonding and sealing

Körapop 954 Marine is a adhesive e one-component sealant lithium soap-based silane-modified polymer. Cures with humidity and maintains an elastic behavior once hardened.

Other characteristics of the product include:

• excellent resistance to humidity and weathering.
• fast curing speed
• high UV stability

Skin formation occurs approximately after 10 minutes, while elongation at break reaches 400%.

Körapop 954 Marine can also be used on numerous compatible substrates, including metals, aluminum and steel alloys, composite materials such as CFRP and GFRP, glass, wood, and coated surfaces.

In the Revel Sailing Team project, these characteristics find perfect application in the sealing of inspection hatches and in the bonding of deck equipment, where the marine sealant must combine elasticity, resistance to external exposure, and speed of application.

Körapur 928 Marine and the elasticity required by Kraken’s flap

Körapur 928 Marine is instead a one-component, elastic polyurethane adhesive sealant that cures with moisture.

In this case too, the main characteristics include resistance to humidity and weathering. For the application developed on Kraken, however, the decisive characteristic is the elongation at break of 800%. This High deformability allows the product to fill the clearance between the wing and flap while continuing to follow the component’s movement.

Elasticity is therefore not just a property of the material, but directly addresses a functional requirement of the foil.

IMO certifications for H.B. Fuller Marine adhesives and sealants

In the construction and outfitting of vessels, technical performance is accompanied by the requirements set for the marine sector.

Within the H.B. Fuller range, numerous solutions are developed to meet the requirements of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Compliance concerns products intended for various marine applications, from deck systems to component bonding and sealing, through to solutions for panels and structural connections.

Both Körapop 954 Marine and Körapur 928 Marine meet IMO requirements. In the Revel Sailing Team projects, this element complements the characteristics that concretely guided the choice of materials.

From product to application: the collaboration between Mascherpa and Revel

In the vessels developed by the Revel Sailing Team, materials are tested against requirements arising directly from the design, construction, and development of the boats.

H.B. Fuller applications follow the same logic. Sealing an inspection hatch, fixing deck equipment, or allowing the movement of Kraken’s flap means addressing different problems and identifying different properties in the material.

The collaboration between Mascherpa and Revel Sailing Team fits precisely into this transition from technical need to solution, taking marine bonding from the product to its concrete application.

For more information on H.B. Fuller range solutions and to discover all the materials supplied by Mascherpa within the collaboration with the Revel Sailing Team, contact our Mascherpa experts and watch our dedicated videos.