Material guide
Gluing Porcelain
Dense vitrified ceramic used for sinks, toilets, tiles and fine tableware.
Also called porcelain tile, sanitaryware, vitreous china.
How Porcelain behaves when you bond it
Much denser and less absorbent than ordinary ceramic, so even the break edge offers little penetration. Bonds are typically wet-area or food-adjacent, which narrows the acceptable options considerably.
Porcelain is a dense vitrified ceramic with very low water absorption. Its smooth non-porous face offers little mechanical key, while repaired tableware or sanitaryware may add hot-water, hygiene and appearance constraints that general bond strength does not address.
Material properties
- Surface energy
- High, which helps adhesion
- Porosity
- Non-porous
- Rigidity
- Rigid
- Maximum service temperature
- 200C
- Normally needs abrading
- Yes
- Normally needs a primer
- No
Surface preparation
Degrease and dry the bond area. For a hidden structural joint, abrade to a uniform matt key with a fine ceramic-compatible abrasive and remove all residue; do not abrade visible glaze unless acceptable. Select a product with an explicit wet-service or other required approval rather than inferring it from ceramic adhesion.
Which adhesives work on Porcelain
Excellent
Two-part epoxy
Two-part epoxy is rated excellent for this material as an application-level assessment, not as a blanket manufacturer claim. The prepared surface must be sound and consistently keyed where the finish permits. Suitability still depends on the other substrate, joint design and service environment.
Abrade the surface first.
Good
Cyanoacrylate
Cyanoacrylate is rated good for this material as an application-level assessment, not as a blanket manufacturer claim. The prepared surface must be sound and consistently keyed where the finish permits. Suitability still depends on the other substrate, joint design and service environment.
Abrade the surface first.
Good
MS polymer
MS polymer is rated good for this material as an application-level assessment, not as a blanket manufacturer claim. The prepared surface must be sound and consistently keyed where the finish permits. Suitability still depends on the other substrate, joint design and service environment.
Abrade the surface first.
Bonding Porcelain to something else
Last reviewed 8 October 2026.