We recently added Permabond 130UV, a breakthrough dual-curing adhesive, to our product range. 130UV offers both a cyanoacrylate and a UV cure, all in one. When looking at this product you might initially wonder, why would you need two separate curing mechanisms? After all, most adhesives cure only one way, and that’s normally fine! Well, the combination of both a moisture cure (from the cyanoacrylate) and a UV cure actually allows 130UV to overcome the difficulties sometimes faced by users of each of these adhesive technologies when applied individually.
One problem with non-dual-curing UV adhesives is their reliance on UV light alone to cure. This, depending on what is being bonded, can sometimes result in adhesive shadow areas. These occur where UV light has either not been able to reach, or has not reached with enough intensity, to properly cure the adhesive. By extension, UV light by itself is not able to bond through opaque materials. This means that substrates must normally be as clear as possible (such as glass) to properly bond. However, with 130UV also offering a moisture cure, shadow areas and opaque substrates are no longer a concern. Any adhesive areas not reached by the UV light will simply moisture cure instead!
Another issue with UV curable adhesives is that they typically don’t bond well to rubber. Dual-curing Permabond 130UV, however, also has a moisture cure which helps it to provide a very strong bond on this substrate. 130UV also cures almost completely tack-free, which is often not the case with other UV adhesives. This provides a lovely, clean, smooth bond that both looks and feels great.
With regards to standalone cyanoacrylates, these adhesives often ‘bloom’ (leave a white powdery residue) after bonding. This occurs due to a chemical reaction with oxygen occurring shortly after they have been exposed to the air. However, with 130UV being a dual-curing adhesive with a UV light cure, this blooming can be avoided by instantly curing with UV light upon application. Not only is blooming thus avoided, but the clean, tack-free finish previously mentioned ensues.
So, now you know some of the benefits of a dual-curing adhesive, why not try it out for yourself? Contact Permabond to find out more – we’d love to hear from you!
