The blue bottle Loctite instant adhesives have been around for over 50 years. Referred to technically as cyanoacrylate adhesives, and commonly referred to as superglues, these products are used when time is of the essence. Instant adhesives cure very quickly when confined between surfaces, exhibiting excellent adhesion on most substrates and especially on small to medium sized parts.
But once you have selected the right instant adhesive, you need to apply it in the appropriate way to reap its benefits.
Applying Loctite instant adhesives correctly starts on delivery. For optimum performance, these products should be stored in the fridge, ideally between 2°C and 8°C. Storage outside of these temperatures can adversely affect product properties.
Correct surface preparation is key before any bonding application, and the use of instant adhesives is no different.
Loctite recommend the use of Loctite SF 7063 or Loctite SF 7070 to degrease and clean the surfaces to be bonded prior to application.
Loctite SF 7063 is a general-purpose product for cleaning and degreasing any kind of surface or machinery component before proceeding with a repair or assembly job involving Loctite adhesives. It is a solvent-based cleaner and the product leaves no residue. Loctite 7063 removes most greases, oils, lubrication fluids and metal cuttings.
Loctite SF 7070 is a non-aqueous, hydrocarbon based, non-CFC solvent designed for cleaning and degreasing of surfaces to be bonded with Loctite adhesives. The product is used as a final pre-assembly cleaning treatment to remove most greases, oils, lubrication fluids, metal cuttings and fines from surfaces to be bonded.
All components should be dried before application of the adhesive.
If you are applying a Loctite instant adhesive where cure speed is unacceptably long, or the substrate is difficult to bond to, it is recommended that an activator is used.
Various products are available:
To aid in the application of Loctite instant adhesives, dispensing needles in a variety of gauges are available that can be applied directly onto the bottles themselves. These needles improve control when dispensing the adhesive, especially on smaller components.
