The Effect of Moisture on the Strength of Steel-Steel Cyanoacrylate Adhesive Bonds

Abstract

Abstract The effect of humid ageing on the bond strength of steel-steel cyanoacrylate bonds has been investigated. Such systems rapidly lose most of their bondstrength while under similar conditions polycarbonate-polycarbonate bonds remain virtually unaffected. This loss of strength can be attributed to the formation of an oxide layer at the substrate - adhesive interface and the simultaneous surface hydrolysis of the polymer. It nas also been shown that the adhesive itself is relatively impermeable to water and that the most likely method of ingress into the bond would be via a “wicking” mechanism along the substrate/polymer interface.