Permabond 130UV & 135UV – dual-curing powerhouse adhesives

Permabond 130UV & 135UV are a unique class of adhesives that offer the benefit of both a cyanoacrylate (moisture) and UV cure. Since their launch last year, both products have received significant interest and have been subjected to extensive testing from our customers. They cure in seconds when exposed to UV light and also by reacting with the moisture present in the air and on most surfaces, effectively offering the best of both curing technologies.

The benefits of a dual-cure cyanoacrylate/UV adhesive

Traditional UV adhesives rely solely on UV light to cure, which can lead to uncured ‘shadow areas’ where the UV light cannot reach, or bonding issues with opaque (non-transparent) materials. Permabond 130UV & 135UV overcome these with a dual-curing system – utilising both a UV light and moisture cure. This ensures complete curing, even in shadow areas or when bonding opaque substrates.

Unlike standard UV adhesives which struggle to bond rubber, 130UV & 135UV’s cyanoacrylate chemistry enables strong adhesion to rubber surfaces. They cure tack-free, providing a clean, smooth finish.

Standalone cyanoacrylates often produce a white residue or “bloom” after curing due to a chemical reaction with moisture present in the air. Permabond 130UV & 135UV avoid this by instantly curing with UV light, preventing bloom and delivering a clean, residue-free finish.

Blades for eye surgery – a real-life Permabond 130UV case study

We were recently contacted by a customer looking for an adhesive that could bond multiple substrates for consumable eye surgery blades. There were several applications the customer wanted to cover using one adhesive. Due to the delicate and small nature of some of the parts being bonded, the customer wanted a UV adhesive for a controlled and rapid cure that could easily be automated into a syringe-based dispensing system. Additional requirements were a shore hardness of >70D, with biocompatibility not essential but good to have.

We subsequently recommended Permabond 130UV for this application for several reasons. It matches the customer’s shore hardness requirements perfectly, offers biocompatibility and cures in shadow areas that may not be reached by the customer’s UV-curing system. Not only that, it cures very quickly, is easily automated into a dispensing system and bonds well to a wide variety of substrates. Overall, 130UV was the right adhesive for the job and the customer was very happy with this choice.

Key Features of Permabond 130UV & 135UV dual-curing adhesives

• Provide the benefits of both cyanoacrylate and UV curing
• ISO 10993-5 cytotoxicity tested
• Contain fluorescing indicator for inline QC inspection
• Good adhesion to metals & plastics, even in combination
• Tack-free in seconds
• Low-powered UV light sources can be used for curing
• Reduced odour
• Reduced bloom
• Cure in a clear / transparent, thin bond line
• Good open time allowing accurate alignment
• Rapid on-demand UV cure
• Pass 85°C/85% RH testing
• Solvent-free

While 130UV & 135UV are similar products overall, 135UV offers a higher viscosity for applications where this is required.

To find out more about either of these products or to discuss your application with us, please get in touch.