Evidence-first editorial standard
This guide separates observed facts, engineering assumptions and data that still require confirmation. It does not promise a universal service life or replace the exact product data and project specification.
In a bonded lining, the adhesive sets the limits, not the ceramic
The tile resists wear; the adhesive decides whether it stays in place, at what temperature, under what vibration and in which chemistry. Choosing the adhesive is therefore part of the lining design, made from the service conditions, and not a consumable picked at installation.
Service temperature comes first, including the peaks
Every structural adhesive softens above a certain temperature and loses strength well before it fails visibly. Compare the highest temperature the substrate actually reaches — hot material, sun on a casing, steam cleaning, process upsets — with the service range stated on the data sheet, not with a short-term peak value. Where the temperature is too high for any adhesive, a weld-on or mechanical system is the answer, as compared in bonded versus weldable fixing.
The cure window must fit the outage
Pot life, the time available to place tiles once mixed, and the time to handling strength both depend on temperature. Cold steel slows the cure, sometimes to a stop, which is why cold-weather installation needs heating or a different product. Check that the adhesive reaches the strength needed for start-up within the time the outage leaves after installation.
Sag resistance and gap filling decide what can be bonded where
On walls and overhead surfaces, the adhesive must hold the tile without slipping while it cures; on uneven steel, it must fill the gap without voids, within the thickness the data sheet allows. An adhesive that is right for a flat chute floor can be wrong for the roof of the same chute, and substrate flatness sets how much gap it has to fill.
Toughness and chemistry decide whether the bond survives service
Impact and vibration crack brittle bond lines, so impact zones and vibrating casings call for toughened adhesives or for mechanical retention. Process chemistry — acids, alkalis, solvents, salt-laden humidity — often attacks the bond line before the ceramic, as described in chemical attack on the bond line. Ask for resistance data in the actual medium, at the actual temperature.
What the data sheet must state, and what to record on site
Rely only on an adhesive whose data sheet states the service temperature range, pot life and cure time at stated temperatures, the bond strength to steel and ceramic with the test method, the maximum gap, sag behaviour on vertical surfaces and chemical resistance. On site, record batch numbers, substrate temperature and application time for each area. Induscoat’s IC BOND adhesives are supplied with the lining for this reason, and the full procedure is in ceramic wear lining installation in six steps.