Cyanoacrylate adhesives: blooming effect

BORN2BOND™ ULTRA

When using cyanoacrylate adhesives, aesthetically very annoying whitish halos can occur after curing.

In some cases, blooming is not a problem because the assembled parts can be later painted or refinished; but in high-end production where aesthetics are of paramount importance, it cannot be underestimated. Stains on expensive fashion accessories or consumer electronics are not acceptable.

So what causes blooming?

Blooming is due to the fact that these adhesives consist of very volatile particles that react with moisture and settle, “blooming” on the details, giving a dusty halo-like effect.

When these volatile ingredients condense on the surfaces of parts, they can generate stains, and this is especially noticeable on black or shiny parts and optically transparent parts, for example, lipstick cases, glass lenses and covers, high-end writing instruments, perfume bottles, and the like.

Instant Adhesives: ECA VS MECA

In the world of instant adhesives, there are two main categories, so-called “ethyl cyanoacrylate” and “methoxyethyl cyanoacrylate,” abbreviated as “ECA” and “MECA.” ECA-based adhesive products are well accepted and well used. They are generally inexpensive to produce and have become the mainstay of the adhesive industry, being convenient and easy to use and providing strong and immediate adhesion. But they suffer from two major disadvantages, both associated with their volatility: they create blooming and have an acrid odor, and they must be used in an appropriate environment.

The new generation of MECA-based products is designed to completely overturn these disadvantages-they have negligible blooming and are totally odorless and do not burn the eyes, but they work very well instant adhesives and can bond different types of substrates without the need for additional chemicals.

Thanks to innovative technology, MECA-based instant adhesives are now accessible with these benefits in a cost-competitive manner. The technical reason why MECA-based instant adhesives work so well is related to the design of the molecules themselves from which they are formed, which have greatly reduced volatility.

THE WORLD’S FASTEST MECA STICKERS

To date, the performance and applications of instant adhesives have been bounded by the limitations of cyanoacrylate technologies. Through a unique process, Born2Bond™ will unlock the potential of these technologies.

Born2Bond™ Ultra adhesives are odorless, bloom-free instant adhesives with a wide viscosity range, specially designed to bond most substrates, including plastics, rubber and metals. They do not suffer from speed problems like other MECA stickers.