Dispelling 10 myths about cyanoacrylate adhesives

Cyanoacrylate adhesives (CAs) – also known as superglues or instant adhesives – are fast-curing adhesives suitable for bonding a wide variety of substrates, including metals, plastics, elastomers, and porous materials. Because these materials have traditionally come with many compromises, there are several myths surrounding their use.

31/08/2022 15:20:51

Here, Paul Whitehead, Strategic Accounts Manager at Intertronics, busts cyanoacrylate adhesive myths.

At the molecular level, cyanoacrylates are composed of acrylic monomers, stabilised by a weak acid. Cure is initiated when the acidic stabiliser is neutralised by a weak base, typically water, resulting in polymerisation into a long-chain polymer. CAs can be based on various monomers, but are most commonly formed from ethyl cyanoacrylate (ECA) or methoxyethyl cyanoacrylate (MECA) monomers.

Myth 1: All CAs are the same
While it is possible to walk into your local hardware store and purchase consumer CAs, these are not indicative of the capabilities of all CA materials. Newer entries to the market aimed at industrial and technical markets have been formulated to overcome some of the historic challenges and broaden the applications in which CAs are used.

Read the full article in DPA's September issue