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Cyanoacrylate Glue hardening inside bottle


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How do you all keep/maintain your cyanoacrylate glue? I used some about two weeks ago, placed a brass rod inside the 3" tip shoot to keep in clean.. Placed the cap on tight.. My God, I struggled last night getting it out, and much of it hardened inside the middle of the tip. I recall this many years ago, and having to go through many tubes..

 

What can I do to maintain the life of the glue bottles, in particular that 3" tip???  

 

FYI, I was able to unclog the tube by shoving the rod in and out but its just a question of time until its useless again.. 

 

Many thanks!! - Ed 

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I have heard of some modellers keeping superglue in the fridge, it slows down the drying time, also a smear of vaseline around/in the nozzle/tip/cap etc helps, the super glue can't or shouldn't stick to that. That said it does have a shelf life as you probably know, eventually, it will become useless. Other suggestion is to get through more kits faster.🙂😉

 

------------

 

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My CA purchase and use rules:

1) buy the smallest possible container to minimize losses if it goes bad

2) after use and before  putting the lid back on, 'burp" the bottle ( holding the tip up, squeeze to bottle to bubble out any residue CA still in the tip). No guarantee the bottle will last longer, but it helps.

 

I have one that I have been using for a year (opened in 2021 and last used about 3-4 weeks ago).

Edited by Chuck1945
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If you put it in the refrigerator, put it in an air tight container or baggie with a desiccant packet. That way, when you take it out, the condensation will form on the outside of the container and not on the CA bottle.

 

Bob

Edited by Bob Beary
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  • 2 weeks later...

The "problem" with Cyanoacrylate glues is the cure is a exothermic reaction, the catalyst is moisture.

Putting it in the refrigerator will slow it down but not stop it, as the cold air inhibited the exothermic reaction.

 

Personally I dont bother any more, I just buy 2.6ml tubes from Poundland and use as needed. When it goes bad its so cheap £1 for 5 tubes, I just pull out another one.

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Hi, I once was told by an aircraft engineer that CA glue sets in the absence of air in fact it is my understanding that this is how 'zapper' products work, the  vapour reduces the concentration of oxygen in the surroundings (i may be wrong in this in which case please correct me)  So I was told that to extend the use of the glue put a loose layer of cling film over the top to act as a spacer between the cap and the top of the glue so keeping air in the bottle (the above 'burping' also helps with this as long as air is allowed to renter the bottle.

 

The above being said I still have had to ditch  a couple of old ca bottles recently

 

Oh well!

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Here in the UK we've a couple of builder/electrician/plumber etc trade supply stores - Screwfix and Toolstation - I bought a 20g 'own label' bottle of cyano from Screwfix at least two years ago, and don't do anything special with it, just use a 20G hypodermic needle to 'unclog' the nozzle's tip before each use...

....prior to that, I used to do the same as @ElectroSoldier and buy five-packs of small tubes for a quid, but some would harden in the tube even before being opened - this bottle only cost two Pounds, has easily outlasted any cyano bottles or tubes that I've ever previously bought, including 'big brand name' ones, is currently still more than half-full, and completely liquid with it...

Edited by andyf117
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5 hours ago, Delanie said:

Hi, I once was told by an aircraft engineer that CA glue sets in the absence of air in fact it is my understanding that this is how 'zapper' products work, the  vapour reduces the concentration of oxygen in the surroundings (i may be wrong in this in which case please correct me)  So I was told that to extend the use of the glue put a loose layer of cling film over the top to act as a spacer between the cap and the top of the glue so keeping air in the bottle (the above 'burping' also helps with this as long as air is allowed to renter the bottle.

 

The above being said I still have had to ditch  a couple of old ca bottles recently

 

Oh well!

No thats not right.
It cures by absorbing moisture.
Or more technically

chain-growth polymerisation occurs (it cures) when it absorbs (comes into contact with) hydroxide ions (which are present in water).

 

All Cyanoacrylate glues have a short shelf life.

This isnt my opinion, this is on a chemical level, they do break down after a relatively short period of time and once exposed to the air, which contains moisture (hydroxide ions more spercifically) they break down much faster.
 

It may remain liquid but on a molecular level the ability to bond is much reduced over time.

Thats not to say it wont bond, but its original bond strength is much reduced. But condering what we use it for we use such a small fraction of its bonding ability then most all of us just wont notice it.

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Yes, moisture (humidity in the air) is the catalyst. That's why "burping" the airspace out of the bottle helps. Refrigerators dehumidify the air as they cool, that's why storing the bottle in the 'fridge helps.  I say "helps" because CA still has a shelf life, it will eventually harden or go bad, all you can do is slow the process. Buy small, buy often. 👍

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I just use this and keep it in the clear tube.

When it hardens off, I just stop in to the grocery store about .5 kilometre up the street and buy another one.

I usually clear the tip after use and make sure the cap has been put on properly.

 

 

Gluex

 

 

 

Chris

 

 

Edited by dogsbody
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