Adhering EVA Foam to Unpainted Aluminium

What is the best adhesive for gluing EVA foam to unpainted aluminium?

A contact adhesive is the right class of product for this, and Selleys nominates Kwik Grip Horizontal as ideal for the application.

Contact adhesive suits it because of the shape of the job rather than the strength of the bond. Foam sheet against metal sheet is a large, flat, close-fitting area, and a contact adhesive is designed for exactly that — it is coated on both faces, allowed to dry, and then bonds instantly on contact across the whole area at once. There is no clamping and no waiting with the parts held together, which on a large panel is impractical anyway.

Kwik Grip Horizontal at a glance

Property	Typical result
Technology	Solvent-based contact adhesive
Appearance	Yellow / beige opaque liquid
Heat resistance	Up to 130°C
Open time before joining	Approximately 20 minutes, maximum 40 minutes
Full strength	24 hours
Clean up (wet)	Xylene

It is a heat resistant, solvent-based, flexible contact adhesive for broad close-fitting surfaces, forming an instant bond on contact of two surfaces. The thicker formula reduces running and stringing, which is why it is the version intended for flat work.

Horizontal or Vertical Gel?

The name is a genuine instruction, not branding. Kwik Grip Horizontal is formulated for horizontal surfaces — its thicker body stops it running off a flat panel and stringing as you spread it. If your aluminium panel will be worked on vertically, or if you are lining the inside of an upright, Kwik Grip Vertical Gel is the version formulated for vertical bonding, and it is also heat resistant to 130°C.

Either way, do the gluing with the panel flat if you can. Contact adhesive is far easier to spread evenly on a bench than on a wall.

What the open time actually means

This is the part people get wrong, and getting it wrong is what causes a foam panel to lift at the corners a week later.

You coat both surfaces and then wait. The 20 minutes (and no more than 40) is drying time, not working time. The solvent has to flash off before you join the parts. Bringing the surfaces together while the adhesive is still wet traps solvent between two impermeable faces — aluminium cannot breathe, and neither can closed-cell EVA — so it never fully dries and the bond stays soft indefinitely.

The bond is instant and final. Once the two coated faces touch, they are joined. There is no repositioning. On a large panel, lay a few thin battens or a sheet of paper across the aluminium, align the foam, then withdraw them one at a time from one end so the foam lands progressively rather than all at once.

Roller pressure makes the bond. Position carefully and press evenly using a roller. Contact adhesive develops its strength from intimate contact under pressure, not from time — and it reaches full strength in 24 hours.

Preparing unpainted aluminium

Bare aluminium looks clean and rarely is. It is usually supplied with a light mill oil, and it grows a fresh oxide layer within minutes of being abraded.

1. Degrease the aluminium thoroughly and let it dry completely.
2. Lightly abrade the surface to give the adhesive a key, then remove all dust.
3. Check the foam. EVA is an ethylene copolymer, and the surface skin of some moulded EVA sheet can be waxy from a mould release agent — wipe it and, if the sheet is a moulded item rather than cut sheet, test the bond on an offcut first.
4. Work in a well-ventilated area. This is a solvent-based product.
5. Apply to both surfaces and spread evenly.
6. Keep the surfaces apart for approximately 20 minutes, and no more than 40 minutes.
7. Position carefully — you get one attempt — and press evenly with a roller.
8. Leave it to reach full strength over 24 hours.

Limitations

• Not suitable for polyethylene or polypropylene. EVA is an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer rather than polyethylene, and Selleys nominates Kwik Grip Horizontal for EVA foam — but if your foam turns out to be a polyethylene foam (LDPE or XLPE sheet is common and looks similar), this is the wrong product.
• Not suitable for all plastics — test first.
• Not suitable for rough or ill-fitting surfaces. Contact adhesive needs the two faces to meet across their whole area; it will not bridge a gap.
• Use only in a well-ventilated area. It is solvent based.
• Heat resistant to 130°C — generous for most uses, but a limit worth knowing if the aluminium panel will sit in direct sun or near a heat source.

Clean up

While wet, the adhesive can be removed using xylene. Cured adhesive is very difficult to remove. Tools and equipment on which Kwik Grip has dried may be cleaned by soaking in xylene. Excess adhesive on the face of the jointed materials may also be removed with solvent — but take care that the materials themselves are not damaged by the solvent, which is a real risk with EVA foam. Test on an offcut first.

Common questions about gluing EVA foam to aluminium

Do I coat one surface or both?

Both. Apply to both surfaces and spread evenly — that is how a contact adhesive works.

How long do I wait before joining?

Approximately 20 minutes, and no more than 40. The adhesive must be dry to the touch before the faces meet.

Can I reposition the foam?

No. It forms an instant bond on contact. Align it before the surfaces touch.

Which Kwik Grip for a vertical panel?

Kwik Grip Vertical Gel, which is formulated for vertical bonding and is also heat resistant to 130°C.

Does the aluminium need preparation?

Yes. Degrease and lightly abrade it, and make sure it is completely dry before you apply adhesive.

How long until it reaches full strength?

24 hours.

Will it survive heat?

Kwik Grip Horizontal is heat resistant up to 130°C.

What if the foam is polyethylene rather than EVA?

Kwik Grip Horizontal is not suitable for polyethylene or polypropylene. For difficult plastics, Selleys directs you to All Plastics.

Can I use it on a curved panel?

It needs broad, close-fitting surfaces and is not suitable for rough or ill-fitting ones. A gentle curve where the foam conforms fully is fine; a gap is not.

How do I remove it if it goes wrong?

Xylene while wet. Cured adhesive is very difficult to remove — see how to remove Kwik Grip once dry.