Oldbaldguy Posted June 30 Posted June 30 I have a couple of questions about super glue. First, does the stuff lose its spunk over time? I have half a bottle of medium weight CA that has been around for a good long while and it seems to have lost the will to work. I took a good sniff today when it refused to set up in the allotted time and got barely any CA vibes at all. Secondly, has any one else noticed that accelerator seems to make CA cure quickly to the point that it hardens instantly but will pop off a plastic surface cleanly later if the edge is caught with a sharp blade? Is it just me or did I fail chemistry for a reason? Christa, RCPlym and BiggTim 3
denders Posted June 30 Posted June 30 CA tends to thicken up and not work so well. I’ve never used up a bottle of CA, so I buy small bottles knowing I’ll eventually throw it out. Christa, LSP_K2, Oldbaldguy and 1 other 4
BiggTim Posted June 30 Posted June 30 Yes, it has a shelf life. It lasts longer if you keep it in cool, dark place or refrigerate it. RCPlym, Oldbaldguy, Out2gtcha and 1 other 4
LSP_Kevin Posted July 1 Posted July 1 To your first question, and as the others have already said, yes, CA has a shelf life, and loses its efficacy over time. The process begins in earnest as soon as the bottle or tube is opened, but can happen in unopened containers too. And I've found that the decline accelerates quite rapidly after the first week or so. Other than tiny tubes, I don't think I've ever gotten through an entire bottle of CA before it became useless (or hardened completely in the container). To your second question, yes CA accelerator has a negative affect on the integrity of the glue. Sure, it makes it cure much quicker, but also makes it more brittle than it already is, and the bond is less strong. Basically, the quicker you force CA to cure, the less optimally it does so. A few years ago, when I finally figured out that CA was one of the primary causes of the allergy issues I was having, I did a lot of research into it, and it turns out that under normal conditions, CA can take up to 24 hours to reach full strength, and accelerator subverts that process (and also makes it give off a lot of heat). Consequently, I try to avoid using accelerator as much as possible, but ironically, sometimes it's the only way to get the older stuff to cure! Kev LSP_K2, Oldbaldguy, Out2gtcha and 5 others 7 1
Dave Williams Posted July 1 Posted July 1 I’ve got opened bottles of CA in the refrigerator that have lasted for many years. The glue in them is still fine. TankBuster, BiggTim, Jim Barry and 2 others 5
Out2gtcha Posted July 1 Posted July 1 58 minutes ago, Dave Williams said: I’ve got opened bottles of CA in the refrigerator that have lasted for many years. The glue in them is still fine. This is a good point. Not unlike a lot of medications, CA can last much longer if kept in the fridge when not in general use. RCPlym, Christa and BiggTim 3
LSP_Kevin Posted July 1 Posted July 1 1 hour ago, Dave Williams said: I’ve got opened bottles of CA in the refrigerator that have lasted for many years. The glue in them is still fine. That's not a viable or practical option for a lot of us, sadly. Kev BiggTim and RCPlym 2
RCPlym Posted July 1 Posted July 1 Moisture is the important issue for both curing and storage of Superglue. Moisture is what starts the curing process, and the less of it there is the longer curing takes. With that in mind, keeping the bottle cap fitting as best as possible will mitigate a lot of storage problems. If you have the dreaded white bloom around the cap, the seal isn't good enough and indicates your glue is starting to cure and thicken. Every time I use cyano, I religiously clean the nozzle with acetone wetted cloths. Then, if not being used for some time, into the Mini-fridge it goes and I have bottles that still perform as intended that are years old. As for using the fridge to store it, any of the Mini-fridges that cost £20 to £30 will do just fine! https://ebay.io/m/nCd80A Oldbaldguy and BiggTim 2
RCPlym Posted July 1 Posted July 1 6 hours ago, LSP_Kevin said: That's not a viable or practical option for a lot of us, sadly. Kev Why not invest in a mini-fridge? The ones that will hold a couple of beer cans or so are ideal. I have five year old glues that are as good as new - way past use by dates for the day job - but absolutely fine for modelling purposes. BiggTim 1
LSP_Kevin Posted July 1 Posted July 1 8 minutes ago, RCPlym said: Why not invest in a mini-fridge? I barely have room for the glue, let alone a fridge to put it in! Kev Christa, RCPlym, MikeC and 5 others 2 6
RCPlym Posted July 1 Posted July 1 12 minutes ago, LSP_Kevin said: I barely have room for the glue, let alone a fridge to put it in! Kev Well that is just unacceptable! 😬🤣🤣🤣🤣 Man has to have room for modelling infrastructure! Mine has taken over half of my day-job area. And rightly so! 🤣🤣🤣🤣 LSP_Kevin and BiggTim 2
RCPlym Posted July 1 Posted July 1 8 hours ago, LSP_Kevin said: and also makes it give off a lot of heat In a previous day job when producing inductors for railway safety equipment, the inductors mounting plates required cyano to belt and braces secure the plates and nuts/bolts securing them to the inductor cores. Then up to 60 assemblies were then put into an oven at 80°C for between 9 and 12hrs to condition them. Dopey here forgot to put a couple in once on a night shift and decided to open up the oven and put them in only about ten minutes later... Never, ever again did I do that... The cyano vapours from sixty inductor full of glue nearing 80°C damned nearly knocked me out, even with the oven being evacuated! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 That factory went through hundreds of big bottles of Loctite 496 a month when busy, but they were always taken from and returned to fridges. Christa and BiggTim 2
Oldbaldguy Posted July 1 Author Posted July 1 Like many stereotypical consumptive Americans, I have a spare fridge just steps away from the bench. As soon as I can make room among the potables, I will store my CA in it. Seeing as how this weekend marks our 250th birthday and all sorts of festivities will ensue, I expect it to be nearly empty come Monday. Pinot noir and Riesling of dubious parentage bought by the pallet load down to the big box store along with twelve bags of mulch, some 2x4s and a big sack of raw peanuts lasts no better than CA once uncorked. Like glue, so the sooner I make use of it, the better. BiggTim, Christa, Tony T and 1 other 4
Tony T Posted July 1 Posted July 1 "What's this doing in the fridge?!" Springs to mind, before it's unceremoniously tossed into the bin or transferred to the nearest flat surface in the garage. The dinky exhibit shown earlier won't hold Stella, Schweppes and white wine, but OTOH cyanoacrylate costs, per litre, about the same as a fine jeroboam of brüt champagne so it's all relative. I'm going to stick (no pun intended) to those dinky twin packs of CA that, like shotgun cartridges, are one-shot use. Need to start playing with dark rubberised CA but using these adhesives is less fun than just burning tenners. Oh, and OBG, sounds like you're about to have a great party! Tony MikeC, CRAZY IVAN5 and BiggTim 3
Oldbaldguy Posted July 1 Author Posted July 1 54 minutes ago, Tony T said: Oh, and OBG, sounds like you're about to have a great party! Tony Just got back from the market. Things are ramping up nicely. Flags, fireworks, bunting, beer, and barbecue readily at hand. CRAZY IVAN5, Christa, Aerophile and 3 others 4 2
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