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Contrasted with other adhesive types, silicone adhesive is clearly distinctive. The unique chemical composition polymers gives silicone adhesives elastomeric properties not found in many other adhesives.

This elasticity makes silicone adhesive highly flexible and resistant to changes in temperature. Silicone adhesives can withstand high levels of heat, whilst remaining highly elastic at temperatures as low as -75ºC.

Silicone adhesives are generally selected due to their capability to elastically absorb and/or compensate dynamic stresses. Furthermore, this material caters for the most varied substrate combinations including such as metal to wood or metal to glass.

More and more we are seeing silicone adhesives replacing conventional mechanical fasteners and lowering production costs in modern manufacturing industries.

 

Typical Advantages and Properties of a Silicone Adhesive

 

Excellent electric properties	Chemical Resistance	UV Resistance
Elongation	Temperature Resistance	Flexible Bonding & High Elasticity

Shop Silicone Adhesives now!

 

What is UL 94 Standard?

UL 94 is the standard for safety of flammability of plastic materials for parts in electrical equipment and accessories.

Performed by the Underwriters Laboratories, UL 94 classifies plastics based on how they burn, with orientation and thickness level determining a plastic’s tendency to extinguish or spread the flame once ignited, and how well the material resists ignition.

 

 

How is UL 94 Standard Achieved?

Plastic material testing is undertaken with either a Horizontal Burn (HB) test or Vertical Burn (VB) test, determined by the materials application requirements. During all tests the materials are subject to a flame source for a set duration of time.

The UL 94  standard  encompasses multiple ratings for solid plastic materials including:

V-0 (Vertical Burn): Burning stops within 10 seconds after two applications of ten seconds each of a flame to a test bar. No flaming drips are allowed.

V-1 (Vertical Burn): Burning stops within 60 seconds after two applications of ten second each of a flame to a test bar. No flaming drips are allowed.

V-2 (Vertical Burn): Burning stops within 60 seconds after two applications of ten seconds each of a flame to a test bar. Flaming drips are allowed.

5VA (Surface Burn): This is the highest (most flame retardant) UL94 rating. Burning stops within 60 seconds after five applications of five seconds each of a flame (larger than that used in Vertical Burn testing) to a test bar. Test specimens may not have a burn-through (no hole).

5VB (Surface Burn): Burning stops within 60 seconds after five applications of five seconds each of a flame (larger than that used in Vertical Burn testing) to a test bar. Test specimens may have a burn through (a hole).

H-B (Horizontal Burn): Slow horizontal burning on a 3mm thick specimen with a burning rate less than 3”/min or stops burning before the 5” mark. H-B rated materials are considered “self-extinguishing”. This is the lowest (least flame retardant) UL94 rating.

 

 

Why is the UL 94 Standard useful?

By awarding certification for electrical parts and appliances manufacturers, UL 94 offers many advantages including:

 

 

Reduced Safety Hazards

Increased Equipment Performance

Consumer Confidence Boost

Minimised Replacement Costs

 

UL 94 Certified Products Available from Ellsworth Adhesives:

Robnor ResinLab HX439N A thermally conductive flame retardant potting and encapsulating compound offering high adhesion, low shrinkage and good chemical and water resistance.	DOWSIL HC 1100 A one part RTV solventless silicone conformal coating. Grey in colour, HC 1100 offers a fast tack-free, controlled volatility and low viscosity cure.	Dymax 903-E A UV/moisture-cure conformal coating engineered for a quick cure, high chemical resistance, and is tack free immediately after cooling.
Robnor ResinLab PX700K-1 A general-purpose flame retardant potting and encapsulating compound with good thermal conductivity and high electrical insulating characteristics.	Lord SC-309 A two part thermally conductive silicone system with low stress characteristics and superior high temperature electrical properties as associated with silicone resins.	Henkel Loctite Stycast 2850 FT A two component, room temperature curing, epoxy encapsulant offering a low coefficient of thermal expansion, electrical insulative and thermally conductive properties.

Aerosol adhesives are portable and ready to use with the touch of a finger. Designed for a quick and easy spray application, aerosol adhesive are an incredibly convenient and versatile adhesive solution.

Packed into portable, easy to use containers, aerosol adhesives are ready to use whenever required, and work effectively on paper, plastic cardboard, wood, fabric, metal and many more materials.

When you choose Ellsworth Adhesives as your aerosol adhesives supplier, you can be sure to find a variety of top performance adhesives with various performance and application characteristics.

 

Key Properties

With a wide range of performance characteristics for consistently reliable bond lines, aerosol adhesives work most effectively when the user is looking to achieve a soft bond line. Designed with a controlled spray pattern, aerosol adhesives minimise overspray, clean-up and unused adhesive.

Aerosol adhesives can be placed at the exact location where application is required, the adjustable nozzle can enables a precise and controlled spray.

 

Benefits of Aerosol Adhesives

Heat resistance	Bonds to a range of substrates
Adjustable nozzle for ease of use	High strength
Low odour	Versatile for a wide range of industries

Featured Ellsworth Adhesives Aerosol Adhesives

Henkel Loctite 7031 is a clear, colourless, solvent-based cleaning  treatment for all surfaces to be bonded with Loctite cyanaoacrylate adhesives. It neutralises surfaces which might inhibit the cure speed of the adhesive.

Typical applications include cleaning of plated parts, surfaces contaminated with release agents and parts soiled by handling.

 

Henkel Loctite 8151 is a heavy-duty anti-seize spray designed to prevent joints from seizing and corroding when exposed to high temperatures, such as those encountered in the exhaust from combustion engines and in fittings for oil and gas burners.

The product is typically used in applications with an operating range of -30°C to 900°C.

 

Permabond C Surface Activator (CSA) is used in conjunction with Permabond cyanoacrylate adhesives to promote a faster cure and to extend their gap-filling capabilities.

It also enables fillets of cured adhesive to be formed if required and can be used to reduce the effects of blooming and can affect decorative surfaces. Use of CSA also facilitates the bonding of porous surfaces.

 

Henkel Loctite VR 5000 is a styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) based vehicle body contact adhesive spray. It is a pressure-sensitive, multi-purpose product with a high degree of initial strength.

Typical applications include bonding of interior materials such as textiles, foams, rubber, insulating materials, PE films/sheets, leather, cardboard, metal, wood or polyester.

 

Henkel Loctite LB 8201 is a universal penetrating liquid which   frees, lubricates, cleans, dries and prevents corrosion on all machinery. The product does not contain silicone.

It is used to free seized or corroded parts such as threaded fasteners, hinges and cylindrical joints whilst providing light. LB 8201 displaces moisture from damp electrical devices to leave a protective anti-corrosive film. The operating temperature range is -20°C to 120°C.

 

Henkel Loctite 7025 is a transparent, colourless, very low viscosity, cyanoacrylate activator used where increased cure speed of Loctite cyanoacrylate adhesives is required.

It is especially recommended for porous substrates and irregular surfaces such as wood or stone. These gaps will contain larger volumes of a cure slowly in the absence of activator.

 

Henkel Super Lube Aerosol is a patented, multi-purpose, thixotropic, synthetic lubricant that contains PTFE particles held in suspension. It withstands temperatures from -42°C to 232°C.

Typical applications include bearings, chains, pumps, open gears, compressors, valves, conveyors, food processing equipment and slides.

 

Shop our entire range of aerosol adhesives here. 

If you are still unsure which Aerosol Adhesives is best suited to your application, please get in touch with the Glue Doctor who will happily analyse your requirements and help you select the most suitable.

To make an enquiry about any of our Aerosol Adhesives, contact Ellsworth Adhesives Europe via email: infoeurope@ellsworth.com or alternatively call 01355 231122.

Often the physical properties of materials can limit design freedom, however thanks to our specialised range of optical materials from vendor partner Dow Corning, this issue can be mitigated.

Optical materials are used in the manufacture of items such as mirrors, windows and prisms and are designed to reflect, transmit, detect and transform light.

Included in our diverse range of optical materials are mouldable optics, optical coatings and optical encapsulants. Dow Corning optical materials go beyond the limits of traditional optical materials whilst proving to not only offer excellent optical properties but more resistance to impact damage and degradation from UV, heat and environmental extremes.

Dow Corning optical materials push design boundaries by enabling LED sources to feature more complex shapes, micro-scale optical structures, multifunction parts and even undercuts that are difficult to achieve with organic polymers or glass.

 

Mouldable Optics

Mouldable Optics can boost the long-term performance of a design beyond the capability of traditional optical materials. With unique optical properties, they are most resistant to impact damage and degradation from UV, heat and environmental extremes – a key benefit of modern optical materials compared to traditional means. Mouldable Optics are also beneficial to the end user in the sense that it allows them to explore more complex designs whilst simplifying the manufacturing process.

Dow Corning MS-1002 is a mouldable silicone optic designed to produce fine detail with good resistance to environmental aging. MS-1002 has a medium viscosity for injection moulding, good mould flow and transparency with better heat resistance than plastic and appearing lighter than glass. There is also the option to easily mould this material into complex shapes.

The award-winning MS-2002 is a white reflective material which enables creativity and flexibility in designing and manufacturing light reflectors. MS-2002 Mouldable Silicone optic offers minimum colour change with heat or UV exposure and ensures high performance in challenging conditions such as high humidity. It is fast curing, and has high viscosity and high Shore A hardness.

 

Optical Coating

Optical coatings are made up of a combination of thin film layers, designed to enhance transmission or reflection properties within an optical system. The performance of an optical coating is ultimately based upon the number of layers, which includes the thickness of the individual layers as well as the refractive index difference at the layer interfaces.

Dow Corning CI-2001 White Reflective Optical Coating provides even more freedom to go beyond the design limitations of traditional materials. This reflective coating can enhance light output and efficiency in reflectors, lightboxes, mixing chambers, backlight units and other surfaces, while ensuring high resistance to environmental aging. CI-2001 offers many additional benefits including additional protection from humidity, moisture and thermal stress and excellent insulation again high voltages whilst minimising processing costs. At the same time, CI-2001 eliminates the need for special storage, handling and ventilation.

 

Optical Encapsulants

Optical Encapsulants serve to enhance light output and efficiency in lighting applications. These silicone based products have great compatibility with LED substrates whilst offering superior thermal stability. With a number of additional benefits including their ability to sustain their physical and electrical properites over a wide range of temperature, humidity and other harsh environmental conditions, optical encapsulants are an incredibly advantageous material.

Dow Corning JCR 6122 is a two-part, transparent, medium modulus LED encapsulant with very low viscosity and high transparency. JCR 6122 has been designed to meet the challenging needs of the LED market, with features including high adhesion, high purity, moisture resistance, thermal stability and optical transmittance.

EI-1184 is a unique optics encapsulant which can perform multiple functions. EI-1184 offers greater cost efficiency and a lower overall total cost of ownership whilst providing superior protection from moisture, thermal stress and shock and impact. Additional benefits include minimal yellow and degradation while maintaining consistent light quality over the product light-span.

 

Concluding Thoughts

Designed to meet the challenging needs of the optical market, Dow Corning mouldable optics, optical coatings and optical encapsulants are a great choice to address tough industry demands whilst guaranteeing a competitive edge.

Encompassing advanced silicone technology, users of Dow Corning optic materials can enjoy a range of benefits including optimised efficiency, simplified and speed processing properties, resisted yellowing and physical degradation whilst protecting sensitive LED electronics from thermal cycling stress to perform reliably at extreme temperatures ranging from -45°C to 200°C.

To make an enquiry about any of our Optical Materials, contact Ellsworth Adhesives Europe via email: infoeurope@ellsworth.com or alternatively call 01355 321122.

Shop our extensive range of optical materials here.