Known as Instant Adhesives, Instant Glue, Super Glue, CA or more scientifically as C5H5NO2, Cyanoacrylate is the technical term known by most adhesive experts and it’s been around since the early 1950s. And, as its founding name suggests, just a one square inch bond of this product will hold around one tonne. Super indeed.
Cyanoacrylates will bond a wide range of substrates like metals, plastics, wood, glass, porous surfaces and maybe accidentally, human skin. It is a key industrial product used in automotive sub-assemblies, aerospace components, appliance part assembly, electronics, construction, and consumer products. A household staple for DIY quick fixes or hobbyists.
Cyanoacrylate adhesive technology is composed of an acrylic resin or monomer that evolves to a plastic state after curing. Unlike some adhesives that cure by evaporation, cyanoacrylates instantly cure in the presence of moisture which reacts instantly on exposure to air, even with a small amount of relative humidity. It only bonds the surface where moisture is present, the reaction generates heat that forms a tough resilient bond instantly at ambient temperatures.
But not all cyanoacrylates are equal. In the UK, Bondloc formulates 3 main systems – Ethyl, Methyl and Alkoxy grades which cater for most applications. Each grade has unique characteristics; varying viscosities, ultra-fast or slow set times, high-temperature resistance, rubber toughened, non-blooming and low odour or gelled formulations for vertical or overhead bonding applications.
To complement the Bondloc range there are several cleaners, accelerators and surface primers that will maximise the bond performance. This includes surface primers that overcome challenges of “difficult to bond” low surface energy substrates such as polypropylene, polyethylene, PTFE, and thermoplastic rubber materials.
Being able to discuss specific applications with the technical team and to sample and trial products from the lab ensures the best and most efficient technology is being used for the job. The financial benefits of working together bring efficient production, a streamlined adhesive inventory, just-in-time delivery, and substantial cost savings by avoiding the high-ticket premium prices demanded by some adhesive brands.
You don’t need to be the adhesive expert, but you do need a reliable, approachable, and pro-active adhesive supplier that you can work with effortlessly. Let’s stick together.
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