Filla-Glu… Hints & Tips
Filla-Glu… Cyanoacrylate adhesives are single-component, instant bonding adhesives that cure at ambient conditions without requiring an external energy source. This characteristic coupled with an ability to bond a wide variety of diverse and dissimilar substrates make Filla-Glu the ideal adhesives for numerous bonding applications.
Getting the best from your Filla-Glu…
Since virtually all materials have a thin layer of moisture adsorbed onto their surfaces, when Filla-Glu adhesive is spread onto a surface for bonding purposes, polymerization occurs rapidly.
Humidity
The higher the relative humidity is (e.g. in a room) the faster Filla-Glu cures. To achieve good, reliable bonds, relative humidity between 40 & 70% is best.
If humidity is too low (<30%), the setting time of the adhesive can become too slow. On the other hand, if humidity is too high (>80%) , a so-called shock polymerization takes place. The latter provokes a certain shrinking process of the adhesive layer, which can lead to less bond strength.
Temperature
Temperature influences the chemical reaction very much. Generally it can be said, that a 10°C hike in temperature, results in Filla-Glu polymerizing twice as fast. This is especially valid for the highly reactive Instant range of Filla-Glu.
The optimal temperature range to achieve best results when applying Filla-Glu is between 20 and 24°C. Lower & higher temperatures will affect the viscosity of Filla-Glu. Respectively it will become thicker or thinner.
Surface Conditions
The surface condition of the mating parts has an enormous influence on the success of a bond. The roughness of the parts is not so important due to the fact that Filla-Glu adhesives reach very good strength properties even on very smooth surfaces. Of more importance is that the parts to be bonded have to be clean. Use Kicka-Pen for optimum surface preparation before bonding.
Thickness of Adhesive Layer
There are two reasons why ideally the adhesive layer should be as thin as possible.
Firstly, the setting time is determined by it. Obviously the following is valid: the thinner the adhesive layer, the faster the bond.
Secondly, the strength properties are better if the film layer remains thin.
To bridge gaps choose Filla-Glu Black, Filla-Glu Clear or Filla-Glu Gel. To ensure fast & full product cure through the larger volume of Filla-Glu, use Kicka-Pen on the parts to be bonded before applying Filla-Glu.
Strength & Versatility
High strength bonding to a wide variety of metallic, plastic & elastomeric substrates can be achieved when using Filla-Glu if the following practices are followed:
- Substrate Cleanliness is key to strong, durable bonds
- To achieve clean / conditioned surfaces use Filla-Glu Liquid Conditioner
- When metal bonding always try to clean – abrade – clean before bonding
- Minimum amount of Filla-Glu to be used. Excess adhesive slows the cure
- If gap filling use Kick-pen before applying adhesive. This will activate the surface and help to ensure full cure through the volume of Filla-Glu adhesive
Ease of Use
Filla-Glu does not require clamping, mixing, external energy or long times to cure.
Most often a single drop, activated by adsorbed atmospheric moisture on parts held together with finger pressure will result in bonded assemblies within seconds.
Kicka-Pen
Kicka-Pen cleans & primes the surfaces to be bonded, ensuring optimum surface conditions for successful adhesion.
Use Kicka-Pen when:
There are adverse environmental conditions (dry air, cold),
When bridging of larger gaps is required Kicka-Pen ensures fast and full cure of Filla-Glu adhesives.
Kicka-Pen should also be used when inactive materials are involved, unpolare materials such as Polyethylene (PE), Polypropylene (PP), Polyoxymethylene (POM) as well as modern Thermoplastic Elastomere (TPE). These materials can now be bonded using Filla-Glu & Filla-Glu Instant Cyanoacrylate Adhesives with prior use of Kicka-Pen.
Kicka-Pen changes the surface tension. The advantages are:
High strength bonding of materials, which could not be bonded before,
A fast and easy to use method to support bonding,
A higher flexibility of choosing materials.
Do' & Dont's
There is no need to cut the nozzle. Simply unscrew the over cap and Filla-Glu is ready for use.
Always keep Filla-Glu bottles upright when not in use
To keep the nozzles clear after use, lightly tap the bottom of the Filla-Glu bottle onto the workbench so that the adhesive runs back into the bottle. Always cover the bottle with a cloth and wear face and eye protection when tapping the bottle to clear the tip.
Remove any excess adhesive that has run onto the nozzle before screwing the over cap back on. Always put the over cap on when not using your Filla-Glu.
Use Filla-Glu dosing tips when there is a need for precise application of Filla-Glu adhesive. Especially use the dosing tips when applying the Filla-Glu wicking grade. The dosing tips simply ‘click’ into place when attached to the nozzle.
The tips can be kept clear & clean by using Filla-Undo.
Do not touch the tip of the bottle or dosing tip onto surfaces that have been sprayed with Filla-Glu activator or where Kicka-Pen has been applied.
Storage
Keep Filla-Glu in tightly closed, original containers in a cool, dark location.
You may find that long-term storage may be enhanced by storing Filla-Glu (in it’s original bottle) in a closed jar / container with a desiccant to absorb any moisture inside the container.
Do not store opened Filla-Glu bottles near any accelerator bottles. Do not store opened Filla-Glu bottles in a fridge.
