The completely cured adhesive or sealant is generally considered to be safe and non-toxic, although caution must be exerted when machining, grinding, etc. joints due to the proliferation of air-borne particles. Also, decomposition products may exhibit substantial vapor pressures and health and safety issues. However, it is the exposure to the uncured components that can be the most harmful, and this is the subject of the current article.
Four primary factors must be considered in all adhesive bonding or sealing operations: toxicity, flammability, hazardous incompatibility, and equipment. The resins and catalyst must be carefully considered because they not only can provide health and safety issues within the factory or work-site, but they can also provide issues within the community relative to release of volatiles and waste disposal.
These materials could be toxic, flammable, and skin irritants. It is the duty of the formulator to make sure that these raw materials are compounded in a safe environment.