What is Electrically Conductive Adhesive?
Electrically Conductive Adhesive is used for high-reliability applications such as electronics, automotive, medical, and consumer products, where components need to be held in place and electrical current can be passed between them.
To sum up, it means adhesive should meet two main requirements: bonding ability and electrically conductive ability to become an effective electrically conductive adhesive.
Type of Electrically Conductive Adhesive
Electrically Conductive Adhesive can be based on several different chemistries:
How to select a right Electrically Conductive Adhesive
There are some vital points to consider when selecting an electrically conductive adhesive:
- Level of electrical conductivity (or volume resistivity).
- Viscosity and rheology of the adhesive – does it need to flow well or stand as a proud drop (with high “wet” strength).
- Filler particle size – what is acceptable or necessary?
- Curing mechanism and cure speed – how do you plan to cure the adhesive e.g., two component mix and then room temperature cure, or heat cure – if the application involves temperature sensitive components, is a heat cure suitable? How quickly does the adhesive need to cure?
- Production line considerations – how fast is the throughput? Is the process fully automated or manual? How will the adhesive be dispensed?
- Nature of the materials being bonded, and level of adhesion required – joint design, strength required, any differential thermal expansion and contraction, Thermal conductivity, glass transition temperature, flexibility requirements.
- Environmental service conditions – temperature, exposure to chemicals, humidity, etc.
- Tests that the adhesive must pass e.g., drop tests, accelerated aging tests.
- Colour, smell, health and safety considerations, shipping, storage, and shelf life.
- And not forgetting one of the most important considerations – cost!
Typical Applications of Electrically Conductive Adhesive
