10 UV Curable Adhesive Manufacturers in 2023
This section provides an overview for uv curable adhesives as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 10 uv curable adhesive manufacturers and their company rankings.
Table of Contents
What Is UV Curable Adhesive?
UV Curable Adhesives are adhesives that harden when exposed to ultraviolet light.
When the adhesive is irradiated with UV light, the photoinitiator absorbs the UV light and uses its energy to initiate a polymerization reaction. As a result, the monomers and oligomers in the components combine to form a polymer, which changes the properties of the applied area.
Compared to dry-type adhesives, this type of adhesive dries quickly and has a smaller volume change during curing. In addition, since heat is not required, adhesion can be achieved without causing damage to the material.
Applications of UV Curable Adhesives
UV Curable Adhesives are originally liquid, but they cure by irradiating the coated area with UV light. Compared to dry adhesives, UV-cured adhesives have the advantages of quick-drying, small volume change during curing, and resistance to moisture. Since they do not require heat, they are suitable for plastic materials with low heat resistance.
On the other hand, since the effect appears only on the area irradiated by UV light, they are not suitable for use on intricate and complicated structures. Also, if the amount of adhesive used is large or the amount of additives is large, it may not harden sufficiently.
Principle of UV Curable Adhesives
UV Curable Adhesives contain ingredients such as monomers, oligomers, photoinitiators, and additives.
When UV Curable Adhesives are irradiated with UV light, the photoinitiator absorbs the UV light and uses its energy to initiate a polymerization reaction.
Through polymerization, monomers and oligomers with small molecular weights combine with each other to form polymers with large molecular weights, which change their properties and cure.
UV Curable Adhesives are classified into radical polymerization type, cationic polymerization type, and anionic polymerization type according to the way they cure. The radical polymerization type has a fast curing speed and is generally widely used.
Monomers and oligomers are easier to synthesize than cationic or anionic polymerization types, so it is possible to change the resin components according to the required performance.
On the other hand, the cationic polymerization type and anionic polymerization type are characterized by small shrinkage during curing, and are effective when the shape cannot be adjusted by pressurizing the material or when precision is required.
Acrylic Monomers Used in UV Curable Adhesives
Examples of acrylic monomers used in UV Curable Adhesives include monofunctional acrylates and multifunctional acrylates such as bifunctional and trifunctional.
Compared to bifunctional and trifunctional acrylates, monofunctional acrylates have fewer polymerization reaction sites, which reduces the cross-linking density of the resin. As a result, effects such as reducing resin viscosity and increasing polymerization reactivity can be expected. Rather than using it alone, it is used in combination with other monomers and oligomers for the purpose of adjusting the properties of the adhesive.
Bifunctional and trifunctional acrylates can create two-dimensional crosslinked structures, which can improve the strength of adhesives. They can also increase solvent resistance and hardness. These acrylates are considered efficient in terms of workability because they have many reaction sites and cure in a short time. However, if too much bifunctional or trifunctional acrylate is added, the overall polymerization rate may deteriorate because of the increased number of reaction sites.
In addition, the shrinkage of the adhesive during the polymerization reaction becomes larger, which may cause problems such as poor adhesion to the base material or curvature of the base material.
Usage and Precautions for UV Curable Adhesives
The following describes the basic usage and precautions for UV Curable Adhesives.
First, as for how to use, apply an appropriate amount to the part you want to apply in the same way as widely used heat cured adhesives. Next, using a UV light or other device that generates ultraviolet rays, irradiate the area to which the adhesive has been applied with ultraviolet rays, and curing will begin immediately. The curing reaction is completed in a very short time, and the adhesive is bonded.
As you can see, the use of UV Curable Adhesives is very simple, but there are two points to be noted for more effective bonding.
The first is that the illuminance of the UV light used must be set appropriately. Illuminance refers to the intensity of the irradiated ultraviolet light. If the illuminance is high, the curing reaction of the adhesive proceeds quickly, but if it is excessively high, the curing reaction proceeds only on the surface of the adhesive, and the interior may not be sufficiently cured. As a result, firm adhesion may not be achieved. If the irradiation intensity is too low, the amount of radicals generated by the irradiation is small and most of them react with oxygen in the air, which may result in insufficient curing.
Second, it is necessary to properly irradiate the area where the adhesive is applied with ultraviolet light. Due to the properties of the adhesive, most of the parts that are applied are intricate parts or between the things to be glued. As a result, the ultraviolet light necessary for curing does not reach the adhesive, and curing may be insufficient. It is necessary to devise ways to ensure that the area to which the adhesive is applied is well irradiated with UV rays.
List of 10 UV Curable Adhesive Manufacturers
*Including some distributors, etc.
Sort by Features
- Default
- Company Size: largest first
- Year Founded: oldest first
- Year Founded: earliest first
Sort by Area
- Germany
- Japan
- United States of America
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Heraeus
UV Curing of Adhesives
Company Overview
Through its subsidiaries, Heraeus Group serves many industries around the world including green power generation, telecommunications, agriculture, aerospace, medical, jewelry, and environmental protection. Heraeus Group companies create products including fiber optics, ceramics, custom metals, surgical equipment, special purpose lamps, and photovoltaics.
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DIC CORPORATION
UV-curable Pressure Sensitive Adhesives
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SEKISUI CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
UV-curing adhesives Photolec A
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UV Curable Adhesive Manufacturer Ranking
*Including some distributors, etc.Number of Employees
- Heraeus: 16,200
- TOAGOSEI: 2,539
Newly Established Company
- Panacol-Elosol GmbH: 1978 (45 years ago)
- TOAGOSEI: 1944 (79 years ago)
- Henkel Corporation: 1876 (147 years ago)
Company with a History
- Heraeus: 1660 (363 years ago)
- Henkel Corporation: 1876 (147 years ago)
- TOAGOSEI: 1944 (79 years ago)
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