Is Super Glue Conductive?

[Mark Kenepp]

Any of you electrical experts out there know if Super Glue (cyanoacrylate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanoacrylate)) conducts electricity?

Would it be safe to use to seal a tear in insulation that has resulted in exposed wires?

I have a handsfree kit that has an exposed wire so we are not talking high voltage here. I just happen to have some super glue lying around. I guess if I had some hot glue (and a glue gun), I would use that.

TIA

[Fishie]

Any of you electrical experts out there know if Super Glue (cyanoacrylate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanoacrylate)) conducts electricity?

Would it be safe to use to seal a tear in insulation that has resulted in exposed wires?

I have a handsfree kit that has an exposed wire so we are not talking high voltage here. I just happen to have some super glue lying around. I guess if I had some hot glue (and a glue gun), I would use that.

TIA

It doesnt conduct electricity but I would advice against it in the strongest possible terms since it will corrode and eat away at the wires.

[Mark Kenepp]

It doesnt conduct electricity but I would advice against it in the strongest possible terms since it will corrode and eat away at the wires.

Hmmm...

Maybe I should just order a replacement?

Thanks for the prompt reply :beer:

[G M Fude]

Use the superglue, Mark. Cyanoacrylates have a low dielectric constant so are good insulators. They are also recommended for metal-to-metal bonding so won't harm the wires under your repaired insulation.

[Fishie]

Use the superglue, Mark. Cyanoacrylates have a low dielectric constant so are good insulators. They are also recommended for metal-to-metal bonding so won't harm the wires under your repaired insulation.

Metal to metal bonding yes, exactly becouse they eat into the metal.
We are alking about tiny wires in a headset here not about fixing to pieces of metal together.so it will do more harm then good.

[Mark Kenepp]

If I have reserved myself to buying a new one anyway… maybe I should experiment?

Put the super glue on and see how long the handsfree lasts.

Maybe if I apply it while it is in my ear, I will never have to worry about loosing it :lol:

[G M Fude]

Metal to metal bonding yes, exactly becouse they eat into the metal.
We are alking about tiny wires in a headset here not about fixing to pieces of metal together.so it will do more harm then good.
Maybe you're thinking of a different type of adhesive, Fishie. What you've described is not the way anaerobic adhesives -- like cyanoacrylates -- work at all.

These adhesives are applied almost universally in, for example, aircraft construction for preventing fasteners coming out of airframes during the vibrations caused by flight. Aircraft engineers, indeed the air transport industry as a whole, are paranoid about any corrosive chemicals. I know because I'm an industrial chemist and it's a pain in the butt flying any chemicals that have a pH slightly below 5.

Cyanoacrylates are also used in cars, trucks, ships, skyscrapers, electronic manufacturing, and a bit of web research reveals they are also used in corrosion prevention.

[Mark Kenepp]

We used super glue in Metal smithing all the time. It makes a great temporary bond. If you have two pieces that need to be riveted together, just glue them together, drill the whole and set the torch to them to burn off the glue. Perfectly aligned holes?

Admittedly, we never had them bound enough to know if the cyanoacrolate would corrode the metal at all.

Come to think of it, I made a number of jewelry pieces where I bound different materials (slate, plastics, rubbers) to silver and as far as I know, they are still holding together.

Ain’t adhesives grand!

[G M Fude]

Ain’t adhesives grand!
Yep, there's always another use! I like your one about using it to align holes perfectly.

One of the (more horrifying, for a guy) stories I've heard, which is likely an urban myth, concerns the fact that cyanoacrylates are also pretty effective at bonding human skin. It involves a well-known Hollywood actress from the 80s and early 90s, who I won't name. Apparently after a disappointing night with her boyfriend, she superglued a certain part of his anatomy to his leg while he slept.

I'll leave the results to your imagination.

I will add that acetone or nail-polish remover is an effective solvent for superglue, should you find yourself in this, uhh, position. Hmmm... might put a bottle of acetone in the bedside table drawer...


EDIT: Here's the link to Snopes take on the story http://www.snopes.com/risque/revenge/superglu.htm

[Kar98]

Ain’t adhesives grand!

Well, sticking to the topic, I've used Elmer's and Krazy on cars, guns, computers and small flesh wounds without any ill effect on anything other than my brain. Be advised though that turning a flexible wire into a stiff and brittle one may have effects other than desired, (he said gluemishly).

[Darius Wey]

Do you have any electrical tape lying around? You could wrap that around the exposed portion of the cable.

[Fishie]

Metal to metal bonding yes, exactly becouse they eat into the metal.
We are alking about tiny wires in a headset here not about fixing to pieces of metal together.so it will do more harm then good.
Maybe you're thinking of a different type of adhesive, Fishie. What you've described is not the way anaerobic adhesives -- like cyanoacrylates -- work at all.

These adhesives are applied almost universally in, for example, aircraft construction for preventing fasteners coming out of airframes during the vibrations caused by flight. Aircraft engineers, indeed the air transport industry as a whole, are paranoid about any corrosive chemicals. I know because I'm an industrial chemist and it's a pain in the butt flying any chemicals that have a pH slightly below 5.

Cyanoacrylates are also used in cars, trucks, ships, skyscrapers, electronic manufacturing, and a bit of web research reveals they are also used in corrosion prevention.

Whoops, my bad, I apologise.

[Mark Kenepp]

Do you have any electrical tape lying around? You could wrap that around the exposed portion of the cable.

Electrical tape is an option, though I don't have any lying around.

The problem area is really quite small, a piece of electrical tape would seem like overkill.

Wow, I never thought this thread would reach a second page.

I guess I underestimated the power of adhesives :splat:

[gluedude]

Basically Super Glue is an insulator. It's insulating properties are about 250 volts per ml thickness.

[Brad Adrian]

...or perhaps some heat-shrink tape or tubing available from your local hardware store or Radio Shack. That tends to be less bulky than electrical tape once it's shrunk.