Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest news and events from TWI:

Subscribe >
Skip to content

Why cure adhesives using ultraviolet (UV) radiation?

   

Frequently Asked Questions

Radiation curing, including visible (blue) light, UV and infrared (IR), is used when a fast curing time is required. The advantages of radiation curing adhesives are:

  • Very rapid room temperature curing
  • Solvent free, 100% solids systems
  • Single-part formulations
  • Wide selection of adhesives to choose from - including acrylic, epoxy and silicone

UV radiation, with a peak intensity at a wavelength of about 365nm, is often used to cure adhesive. When using UV, care must be taken to exclude hazardous short wavelength UV light (UV-B and UV-C). Also, it is important to note that the depth of penetration of UV radiation is fairly limited. To avoid inhomogeneous curing (better curing of the material on the top than the bottom), a relatively thin layer of adhesive is preferred. When a thicker bond-line is necessary, the adhesive can be cured from both surfaces. Alternatively, a dual curing system, involving UV and heat, may be adopted. This is common practice within the electronics industry where a rapid cure using UV is used to retain the components in position and heat is then used to complete a full cure at a later stage.

Further information

For more information, please contact us.

For more information please email:


contactus@twi.co.uk