Industries · MARINE & SHIPBUILDING
Adhesives, sealants and threadlockers for marine work
Elastic seams above the waterline are sealed with MightyLoc Taftflex 6292, a low-modulus polyurethane whose datasheet rates its water and salt-spray resistance as excellent, or with TaftGrip MS polymer, listed for ship and boat building and stated to resist sea water and salt fog at 95% RH. MightyLoc 9025 methacrylate bonds aluminium and stainless steel fixtures to steel without heat; structural hull joints need classification-society approval first. Taftlock 43 locks stainless steel fasteners from 6 to 20 mm; for immersed or below-waterline fasteners, ask MightyLoc first.
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MightyLoc products for Marine & Shipbuilding
AFT 1080GF
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AFT 1120GF
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AFT 1200GF
Acrylic Foam Tape
AFT 2064WF
Acrylic Foam Tape
AFT 2120WF
Acrylic Foam Tape
AFT 3100CF
Acrylic Foam Tape
MightyLoc 9025
Methacrylate
Taftbond 5 Minutes Epoxy
5 Minutes Epoxy
Taftflex 6221
Polyurethane Sealant
Taftflex 6292
Polyurethane Sealant
TaftGrip
MS Polymer
Taftlock 22
Anaerobic Adhesives
Taftlock 43
Anaerobic Adhesives
Taftlock 71
Anaerobic Adhesives
Not sure which to choose?
Tell us your substrates and service conditions; we will point you to the right chemistry.
Talk to our teamFAQ · MARINE & SHIPBUILDING
Questions marine & shipbuilding teams ask.
Yes, for fixtures and stiffeners. MightyLoc 9025 is a two-part methacrylate designed to join dissimilar metals without heat distortion, with a lap shear strength of 86 kg/cm2 (8.5 N/mm2, ASTM D1002). Structural hull joints need classification-society approval; ask MightyLoc first. Confirm surface preparation requirements and mix ratio from the current Technical Data Sheet before use.
Taftflex 6292 is a low-modulus polyurethane sealant for moving joints. Its datasheet rates its water and salt-spray resistance as excellent, and MightyLoc lists marine work among Taftflex applications. It bonds wood, anodised aluminium, polyester, concrete and glass without primer (raw aluminium and painted metal need a trial bond first), is paintable and non-staining, and covers -40 to +90 C. TaftGrip MS polymer is the alternative, stated to resist sea water and salt fog at 95% RH. For immersed or below-waterline joints, confirm with MightyLoc first.
TaftGrip is non-corrosive, odourless, and free of solvents, isocyanates, silicones and PVC, which reduces risk near sensitive substrates and coatings. It cures by atmospheric moisture. Confirm compatibility with the specific substrate and coating system before production application.
Taftlock 43 is specified for fasteners from 6 to 20 mm including stainless steel and plated parts. It locks and seals against vibration and is removable with hand tools. Service temperature range is -55 to +150 C. Confirm fastener diameter and disassembly requirements against the current TDS. For immersed, below-waterline or propulsion fasteners, ask MightyLoc first: the datasheets give no sea-water data.
AFT 1080GF bonds metal, aluminium, stainless steel, acrylic and glass as a structural double-sided tape, rated at 3000 g/25mm 180-degree peel strength. It is intended as a replacement for screws and rivets in appropriate assemblies. Verify load requirements and temperature range against the current TDS before replacing mechanical fixings.
Both Taftflex 6221 and Taftflex 6292 are described as paintable. Ensure the sealant has reached the cure state required for overpainting before applying topcoat. Confirm paint compatibility and required cure time with the current Technical Data Sheet.
What are the environmental and structural challenges in marine bonding?
Salt water, condensation, UV radiation, and continuous vibration degrade bonds that work reliably in sheltered environments. Hull and superstructure panels flex as a vessel moves through water, so a rigid adhesive joint that performs on a static structure may crack in service. Dissimilar metal combinations, such as aluminium to stainless steel, introduce galvanic and thermal-expansion differences that stress the bond line. Deck fittings, windows, and hatches need watertight seals that remain elastic as the surrounding structure moves. Threaded fasteners in wet, vibrating machinery loosen over time and corrode, sometimes seizing so tightly that routine maintenance becomes difficult. Addressing these challenges requires matching chemistry to application: structural rigidity where loads are high, controlled elasticity where movement is expected, and chemical resistance throughout.
How do you select chemistry and product by application?
For structural metal bonding where welding would distort thin plate or is impractical on dissimilar metals, MightyLoc 9025, a two-part methacrylate adhesive, delivers a lap shear strength of 86 kg/cm2 (8.5 N/mm2, ASTM D1002) across a service range of -40 to +100 C continuous, up to +150 C intermittent. AFT 1080GF, a grey acrylic foam tape, provides structural double-sided bonding on metal, aluminium, stainless steel, acrylic and glass, replacing screws and rivets with a 180-degree peel strength of 3000 g/25mm and a service range of -10 to +90 C. For elastic sealing on vessels, Taftflex 6292 is a low-modulus polyurethane whose datasheet rates its water and salt-spray resistance as excellent; it bonds wood, anodised aluminium, polyester, concrete and glass without primer (trial first on raw aluminium or painted metal) and is paintable and non-staining across -40 to +90 C. TaftGrip MS polymer is stated to resist sea water and salt fog at 95% RH. TaftGrip, a one-component MS polymer adhesive sealant, is non-corrosive, solvent-free, isocyanate-free and silicone-free, making it suitable near sensitive substrates; it cures by moisture, skins in 5 to 10 minutes and reaches full cure in 7 days. Taftflex 6221 is a paintable, permanently elastic one-component polyurethane sealant for general jointing across -40 to +80 C. For threaded fasteners, Taftlock 22 handles smaller fasteners up to 6 mm with low-strength retention that allows hand-tool removal; Taftlock 43 covers 6 to 20 mm fasteners including stainless steel and plated parts at medium strength; Taftlock 71 provides high-strength locking for metal screws and fasteners. All three anaerobic threadlockers resist vibration loosening and cover a service range of -55 to +150 C.
How do you specify and apply these products on marine projects?
Substrate preparation determines bond quality more than any other variable. Metal surfaces should be clean, dry, and free of mill scale, grease, and loose oxide before structural adhesive or tape is applied. For MightyLoc 9025, mix ratio and open time should be confirmed from the current Technical Data Sheet before production use. AFT 1080GF requires firm initial pressure across the bond line to achieve the rated peel strength; temperature during application should stay within the product handling range. When using TaftGrip or the Taftflex range in enclosed spaces, ventilation requirements on the TDS should be checked even though TaftGrip is solvent-free; confined areas can accumulate vapour from adjacent materials. Anaerobic threadlockers such as Taftlock 22, 43 and 71 cure only in the absence of air between close-fitting metal parts; they do not cure on passive or non-metallic threads, and cure rate varies with temperature. For any application where a numeric performance value is load-bearing to the design, the figure should be verified against the current TDS, as formulations can be updated.