Storage and Shelf life of Cyanoacrylate Adhesives

Laurie Gibbons
Adhesive Selection and Use, Shelf Life
July 18, 2014

For maximum shelf life of Permabond cyanoacrylate adhesives, store unopened cyanoacrylate at 2°C (35°F) to 7°C (45°F).  Unopened cyanoacrylate products should be brought to ambient temperature before the package is opened. Once opened, the package should be left at ambient temperature.
Storage below 2°C (36°F) or greater than 8°C (46°F) can adversely affect product properties.

Following are some FAQs for storage and cyanoacrylate shelf life:

Should I refrigerate the product at the end of the work day?

No.  Let me explain, while the product is in use, a drops worth of air enters the package every time a drop of adhesive comes out.  That air contains moisture.  If you refrigerate the air, the moisture will condense and reduce the shelf life.

What is the cyanoacrylate shelf life after it has come out of the refrigerator?

Once the cyanoacrylate has been opened Permabond can’t guess at what the shelf life will be.  It is dependent on several factors that are out of our control, such as temperature and humidity.  We recommend obtaining product in a package size that you expect to use within a month.

We also recommend that you qualify for your own use, that month old product still performs to your desired specifications.  For example use a strength test which shows the performance of the adhesive has not degraded.  Some use a viscosity test or flow test that they can correlate to performance to prove the product is performing to the level they require.

The usable life of cyanoacrylate adhesives is also dependent on the purity of the cyanoacrylate.  Permabond cyanoacrylates are very pure, and you will likely find that the usable life, according to your performance testing, will well exceed one month.

What if I need to use the cyanoacrylate only once a month?

Hmmm, I see your point.  In this case allow it to come to room temperature prior to opening the bottle.  After use, recap and return to the refrigerator.

Again, cyanoacrylate manufacturers state shelf life prior to opening the bottle.  So keep in mind that this material may not perform to standard throughout the entire shelf life.

Are there other reasons a cyanoacrylate will cure more slowly?

Other factors that affect cure speed include the gap, temperature and humidity in the room.  This is most noticeable at the start of winter.  The air is naturally drier and some heating systems contribute to even drier air.  Similarly many set air conditioning at 70-75F in the summer and heating systems to 65-70F. Even a fresh bottle of cyanoacrylate will cure more slowly in dry winter air.

For further help and advice, please contact Permabond.

 

 

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