3 reasons for modern 1-part epoxy systems

3 reasons to use modern 1-part epoxy systems

MG Chemicals has recently launched a new range of 1-part epoxies and encapsulants for electronics assembly that address some of the challenges traditional 1-part formulations have faced as the needs of electronics manufacturers evolve.

One-part epoxy systems have long been a mainstay in electronics manufacturing due to their ease of use and strong physical and chemical properties, but their high cure temperatures, deep-freeze storage requirements, and limited shelf life are becoming a concern for an increasing number of OEMs.

Lower curing temperatures with 1K epoxy systems

As electronic components become thinner and smaller, high curing temperatures are becoming more of a problem. The curing temperatures of conventional 1-component systems can reach up to 170 °C. This has historically been acceptable for many applications, but in modern electronics, high curing temperatures are likely to damage components.

Ultra-thin copper plates warp, and many heat-sensitive components simply fail. Frozen, premixed, two-part systems have sometimes been used in the past as a solution to the problem of high cure temperatures because they cure at much lower temperatures.

But their weaker physical properties make them unsuitable for many applications. However, new 1-component systems with lower curing temperatures are now being used. 1-component systems now typically cure at 100°C, sometimes as low as 70°C. As a result, 1-component systems can continue to play an important role in electronics assembly.

Storage at room temperature of 1K systems

Another major problem that limited the use of 1K systems in the past was the high demands of frozen storage, but this problem has now been solved.

Older 1-component systems must be stored at minus 40 °C. Freezers that can maintain this low temperature are not a cost-effective investment for smaller businesses.

Also, these products must be shipped in dry ice, which is very costly for small or medium-sized purchases and a cumbersome barrier to shipping products to distributed manufacturing facilities and suppliers.

Depending on the formulation, the new 1-part systems can be stored at room temperature for between nine months and two years. This significantly reduces upfront and operational costs and allows these products to be made available in small quantities for prototyping through distribution, as most distributors were unwilling to deal with the storage or shipping requirements of frozen produce .

Unlimited pot lives

The elimination of deep-freeze storage for the new 1-component epoxy systems offers another advantage, namely unlimited processing times. Conventional 1-component systems typically have a pot life of less than a day once removed from frozen storage.

This would mean that any glue not used by the end of the day would have to be discarded. The cost of this waste can quickly add up over time, especially in the case of silver-filled conductive epoxies. Also, all fill lines and syringes would need to be thoroughly cleaned before they can be used again. With modern 1-component systems, an unfinished syringe can be put down at the end of a working day and picked up and used again at the beginning of the next day.

Because this new 1-part epoxy technology overcomes the three major problems of traditional formulations - troublesome storage conditions, high curing temperatures and limited processing times - MG Chemicals is very optimistic about the impact it will have on electronics assembly in the years to come.

The new epoxy adhesives are available from Dr. Dietrich Müller GmbH available.