Cyanoacrylate adhesive is the industrial name for the glue that is commonly known as “Super Glue” or “Crazy Glue”. However, the term cyanoacrylate adhesive generally describes quick-bonding super glues. These glues can be used to combine anything from plastic to metal and even human skin. As modern adhesive technologies are growing, manufacturers are very much interested in understanding the use of adhesives in product assembly applications. They are also keen to know the benefits offered over mechanical assembly methods such as rivets, welding, and threaded fasteners. This module will help you greatly to gain a better understanding of how cyanoacrylate adhesives work and why they are a good choice compared to other adhesives in the market.
How do cyanoacrylate adhesives work?
Unlike other water-based adhesives, cyanoacrylate adhesives are composed of an acrylic resin. The main ingredient in cyanoacrylate adhesive is cyanoacrylate, which is an acrylic monomer that transforms into a plastic state after curing.
Cyanoacrylate adhesives also differ from traditional adhesives by their special bonding conditions. This is because cyanoacrylate adhesive can only bond with a surface when there is moisture present. This means if the cyanoacrylate adhesive is placed on a completely dry surface, it will not stick to the surface or form a bond.
In contrast, with a certain amount of moisture on the surface, the molecules in the cyanoacrylate adhesive will react with the moisture to form tight chains in between the two surfaces in contact. This reaction produces heat and occurs instantly, which differs from traditional adhesive bonding that occurs by evaporation of the base fluid.
Industrial applications of Cyanoacrylate adhesives
The Cyanoacrylate adhesive is frequently specified in the design stage of product assembly development by Design Engineers. Often, Quality Engineers and Process Engineers will rely on adhesives to correct or overcome a design flaw or process bottleneck during the fine-tuning stage of the product launch in the manufacturing atmosphere. The Cyanoacrylate adhesives are often used in bonding:
- Automotive subassemblies
- Aerospace components
- Musical instruments
- Appliance part assembly
- Disposable medical device applications
The industries find the cyanoacrylate adhesives very useful because of their ease of use, low cost, fast cure speed, low weight, robust bonding performance, and aesthetic appearance or to unlock new possibilities that are not possible when using traditional adhesives.
Dry time of Cyanoacrylate adhesive
On a broad classification, curing is defined as the process where a chemical reaction takes place to form tougher and harder linkages in a chemical substance. In some materials, this process will only occur at specific humidity levels and temperatures. For the other traditional adhesives, curing can be facilitated by heat, radiation, evaporation, mixing or UV light.
As mentioned previously, curing of cyanoacrylate adhesives is facilitated by the presence of moisture and occurs almost instantly at normal temperatures. The bond formed during the curing is also extremely rigid but very strong; hence it is called as ‘super glue’. As they dry faster, the application must be timed precisely to facilitate a maximum bond.
Thus, the cyanoacrylate adhesives or the ‘super glue’ is found very useful for the industrial applications. Choose the best brand for more effective results.
