Among the different types of adhesives available in the market, it’s the instant adhesives that can be used to bond nearly all kinds of substrates. You can use it to bond plastic to metal, cardboard to metal, rubber to wood, and even to elastomer itself. It is also called cyanoacrylate, a type of thermoplastic adhesive that is popular for a quick and reliable bond. It comes in a wide range of viscosities as one-part, room temperature curing adhesives. Also, instant adhesives are formulated for high-performance, structural bonding of different materials including rubber, ceramic, leather, metals, and plastics, in just seconds. Here are the other interesting facts to know about this product.
Fact #1. Blooming or frosting
Otherwise known as frosting, blooming occurs when instant adhesives react with moisture and then fall back down on the substrate to be bonded. Once this happens, one will notice a white powdery residue left behind. This particular phenomenon makes cyanoacrylate useful for detectives in finding fingerprints at crime scenes.
Fact #2. Surface insensitive cyanoacrylates
Traditional instant adhesives may poorly react to acidic materials slowing or inhibiting their curing, but there are surface insensitive cyanoacrylates (CAs) that were formulated to still work both on active and inactive surfaces. They can also react much faster than traditional CAs in dry climates, offering a more reliable bond.
Fact #3. Adhesive storage
Are you aware that in order to achieve the longest shelf life of instant adhesives, it’s better to store unopened bottles in the refrigerator? However, once you have them opened, store them only at room temperature and not inside the fridge to avoid contamination and premature curing of the product.
Fact #4. Why it’s not suitable for bonding glass
Though instant adhesives offer high bond strength when used on glass parts, it can degrade over time. The high stresses in the glass bonding make the cured polymer prone to chemical and physical degradation because of the contraction and expansion of the joint over time. Combined with moisture attack and sudden temperature changes, bonded glass substrates will not be a permanent solution.
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