What is the difference between adhesive and cement?

Adhesives form a bond either by solvent evaporation (drying) or by a polymeric reaction (curing).  With strain gages, adhesives of the polymeric reaction variety are used since the strain gage surface area will prevent evaporation.  Many other characteristics are carefully considered by Micro-Measurements R&D Engineers to ensure a qualified strain gage adhesive will transfer strain properly throughout a specified temperature range with minimal creep.  A few examples of Micro-Measurements adhesives are:

M-Bond 200

M-Bond 610

M-Bond 600

M-Bond AE-10

EPY-500

Cements differ from adhesives in that a cement forms a bond between two materials due to a  chemical binder.  Cements used with strain gages do not contain any organic compounds, certainly not any polymers!  This is because they are typically used with free-filament strain gages at extremely high temperatures where organic compounds cannot exist.  A few examples of Micro-Measurements cements are:

H Cement

WC-16 Cement

NCC-3 Cement

PBX Cement

HG-1 Cement

http://www.vishaypg.com/micro-measurements/installation-accessories/adhesives/