Which Adhesive Should Be Used with Electronics?
Adhesives have increasingly replaced soldering processes in electronics manufacturing and assembly. Adhesives provide strong bonds to hold PCB components in place while protecting electronics against vibration, corrosion and environmental hazards.
Common uses for adhesives in electronics applications include bonding of surface-mount devices, wire tacking, potting/encapsulating/coating PCBs conformally as well as conformal coating PCBs. A variety of adhesive technologies is available to meet various application needs.
Bonding of Surface Mount Devices to Circuit Boards
Adhesives used for electronics applications have many uses in bonding surface-mount devices (SMDs). SMDs can be placed onto beads of adhesive that have been exposed to heat or UV radiation until curing, keeping the SMD in its proper place until soldered onto the board; acrylics, epoxies and urethane acrylates can all serve this function well.
Wire Tacking: Adhesives used for wire tacking are typically designed to reinforce wire connections by bonding it securely to its support board and protecting from vibrations. Common forms of adhesion used include cyanoacrylates, epoxy adhesives and light-curable acrylics.
Potting and Encapsulation: Encapsulation involves submerging an assembly in adhesive to protect it from physical damage as well as provide insulation benefits. Common adhesive options used for this task are epoxy, polyurethanes, silicones or acrylics.
Conformal coatings: Thin resin films applied by spraying are known as conformal coatings and used to protect components and provide isolation; popular options are epoxy, polyurethanes, silicones and acrylics (electronic adhesive properties).
Electronics demand specific adhesive types with specific properties for adhesion purposes.
Electrical Conductivity: Most adhesives do not offer electrical conductivity. Conductivity can be achieved by adding fillers such as silver, nickel and carbon powder into their base material – typically epoxy resin is often chosen.
Thermally Conductive Adhesives: Thermally conducting adhesives are designed to dissipate heat away from electronic components by conducting it into heat sinks and dissipation pipes. Epoxies, silicones and acrylics may all serve as potential thermal conductive systems.
Ultraviolet Curing: Light-curing adhesives offer users a quick and straightforward experience when used correctly; their quick cure times don’t necessitate heat or additional additives that could potentially pollute the environment, while they require no additives that may pose risks to its ecosystem. UV curing adhesives usually feature acrylic components containing photoinitiators.
When selecting adhesives for electronics, many properties must be taken into consideration when choosing an adhesive. These include suitability for high-speed dispensing; strength and flexibility of strength properties; quick curing time. Adhesives used for SMD bonding must also be single component to avoid issues associated with air entrapment and altered viscosity.
When it comes to electronics applications, choosing an adhesive often depends on its application. Epoxy resins tend to be versatile while UV-curing acrylics work great for SMD bonding; wire tacking requires Cyanoacrylates; while silicones offer excellent sealing properties and make great choices for conformal coating and encapsulation applications.
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