![\"Adhesives](\"https:\/\/permabond.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/LED-lighting.webp\")
<\/p>\nLEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are semiconductor light sources originally developed with two \u201clegs\u201d (a cathode and an anode). When voltage is applied, light is emitted \u2013 \u201celectroluminescence.\u201d The colour is determined by the energy band gap of the semiconductor. Although often, it can be changed depending on the color lens it is encapsulated in. Originally LED use was primarily for low-intensity infra-red (such as for TV remotes.) But nowadays, LEDs can be all colors of the visible light spectrum. An exciting development for us adhesive manufacturers has been the introduction of UV-emitting LEDs. These are ideal for curing UV adhesives. Nowadays, more \u201clegs\u201d have appeared on complex LEDs. These offer more color output from one LED. In fact, RGB LEDs allow the generation of most colors.<\/p>\n
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The LED device market is fast-moving and innovative. Advancements in energy efficiency and improving lighting output from the smallest of sources are happening all the time. With this comes a strong demand for technically innovative adhesive materials for bonding, potting, and sealing lamp parts and LEDs.<\/p>\n
LEDs are now cropping up all over the place, replacing less energy-efficient incandescent lighting. Most electrical devices have LEDs built in to indicate if the device is switched on or on standby.\u00a0 Desk lamps, room lighting, commercial lighting, outdoor lighting, vehicles, aerospace, and the list goes on\u2026 Cities and townships are getting savvy and are now opting for LED streetlamps. These reduce energy bills and maintenance costs. LEDs last a gazillion times longer than the old type of bulb (well, to be a bit more exact, they are about seven times more energy efficient and last at least five times longer than a high-pressure sodium bulb).<\/p>\n
LEDs are also versatile; you can arrange rafts of them in different shapes to get some great lighting effects. How good are those Audi vehicle lamp clusters now with the LEDs around the edges? Look at this year\u2019s Eurovision stage lighting \u2013 jaw-dropping effects achieved with LED lighting.<\/p>\n
LED lights are often potted into strips that can be inserted into indoor and outdoor flooring joints. These are very attractive and appear in more and more public places. They are no longer limited to chic bars or high-end homes with an architectural wow factor. Nowadays, LED strips are even appearing in car parks and parking lots! \u00a0LED potting normally requires clear adhesive with as close to 100% light transmittance as possible with excellent optical properties. As well as good resistance to wear and tear, weathering, water resistance, and sunlight aging. The other factor that needs to consider is that sometimes lighting strips are quite long. Differential thermal expansion and contraction can occur when bonding dissimilar materials. In these situations, consider a slightly more flexible adhesive.<\/p>\n
Adhesives can be used throughout the lighting industry. Electronic PCBs and lamp holders need bonding to hold them in place. Bonding light reflectors often require high-temperature adhesives to cope with temperature extremes. Particularly for industrial lighting and stage and theatre lighting. High-powered bulbs can radiate a lot of heat. Other general applications include wire tacking, bonding heat sinks to help dissipate heat (ie thermally conductive adhesives), and attaching components.<\/p>\n
Adhesives are a great way to join parts without having to use bulky, unsightly fasteners. Given that LEDs are small, lightweight, and look good, why would you use metal clips and fasteners when you can use a clear, invisible adhesive to hold things in place? Another benefit is that adhesives provide a 100% seal against moisture and don\u2019t rattle (think about LEDs and lamps in automotive applications that could loosen due to vibration).<\/p>\n
Below: LEDs for interactive stage flooring held in a special jig. UV cure adhesive holds and protects flooring LEDs.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Even if applications require threaded bolts to hold lamp components together, it is a good idea to use an adhesive threadlocker to prevent vibration loosening of the lamp components. It can also help prevent corrosion, making future maintenance a lot easier.\u00a0 In the case of an underwater pool, yacht, or marina lighting, adhesive threadlockers are essential to make sure salt water, sand etc. don\u2019t get into the threads and cause the bolt to seize \u2013 otherwise, you wouldn\u2019t be able to replace a blown bulb. These underwater lights can be quite expensive (but I guess if you own a yacht or a swimming pool, the cost of a new lamp is a drop in the ocean\u2026quite literally).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n An obvious application is sealing between a lamp lens and the external housing.\u00a0 Most prefer a clear, colorless, non-yellowing sealant. Sometimes, if this area of the bond is not visible it doesn’t matter. Lighting for public areas and street lighting requires sealants to be resistant to rain, hail, and sunshine and also be resistant to vandal attack and theft. Sometimes the highest strength adhesive is chosen over one that is more aesthetically pleasing in order to survive vandals and thieving scoundrels.<\/p>\n Clear potting can be done with epoxy glue \u2013 a two-part epoxy<\/a> resin and hardener which cures at ambient temperatures when mixed in the correct proportions.\u00a0 Choosing a low viscosity, slow setting adhesive can help minimise the risk of air bubble entrapment.\u00a0 Other ways to eliminate air bubbles include automatic mixing under vacuum, drawing a vacuum on the potted parts whilst the adhesive is still liquid, or using vibration tables to drive air bubbles to the surface, then popping them by passing a heat gun over the surface.<\/p>\n Flexible clear MS-polymers<\/a> provide a fantastic seal for lengthy sections that require flexibility. Another benefit is this type of adhesive is it is a single part and doesn\u2019t require mixing. Also, it doesn\u2019t yellow in sunlight and it actually loves rain and hail as this strengthens the adhesive. Flexible clear MS-polymers adhesives provide a great water-impervious seal between lamp parts and provide a gasket-type seal.<\/p>\n These instant adhesives are popular for reflector-type applications for lighting where there can be a lot of heat (not so vital with LEDs as these run a lot cooler, 80-90% of LED output is light rather than heat, making them much more efficient). Cyanoacrylates<\/a> are great on high speed production lines as they cure in seconds and require no mixing, eliminating the need to clamp parts for hours or use dispensing guns, mixing nozzles, weighing scales, etc.<\/p>\n Choose a threadlocker that suits the diameter and coarseness of the thread you wish to lock. Generally, for lighting applications, bolts are very small with very fine thread. So low viscosity anaerobic threadlocker is ideal for the application. Tip, if you expect to need to remove it for future maintenance, select a medium strength product. Anaerobic threadlockers<\/a> are single part and only cure on metallic surfaces when in a confined joint (excess material remains liquid and uncured).<\/p>\n Depending on the substrates and the preferred application process, there are thermally conductive adhesives designed to bond heat sinks and other devices where good heat transfer is required. Single part heat cure epoxy<\/a>, two-part epoxy<\/a>, and two-part structural acrylics<\/a> with a high thermal conductivity are available.<\/p>\n![\"UV683](\"https:\/\/permabond.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/UV683-mounting-mould-for-interactive-LED-flooring.webp\")
<\/p>\nSealing<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Types of adhesives<\/h2>\n
Epoxy<\/h4>\n
MS Polymers<\/h4>\n
High-temperature cyanoacrylates<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Threadlockers<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Thermally conductive adhesives for heat dissipation \/ thermal management<\/strong><\/h4>\n