What is this glue? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / repair

author: eTobey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2023, 11:25:31 am
content: Does anyone know what kind of glue this is, or how it could be desolved / made soft??It is pretty hard.

author: BILLPOD
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2023, 08:15:21 pm
content: I would give it a squeeze, (gingerly), with pliers and see if it would crack.

author: Audiorepair
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2023, 08:22:40 pm
content: I would second that with a try with side cutters to see how it cuts.This often detaches most kind of glues, having to use some kind of solvent would be most unfortunate.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2023, 09:11:51 pm
content: could that be industrial hot glue? color looks the same as the 3m industrial sticks, but maybe what I saw was ancient

author: AndyBeez
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 11, 2023, 09:58:52 pm
content: Looks like epoxy resin. Try IPA or accetone. Beware fumes so do it outside.

author: TurboTom
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2023, 12:41:06 am
content: Looks like MMA adhesive like "Stabilit Express" or similar. There's little chance to cleanly remove it except by application of heat (>150C) or "bathing" it for prolonged time in acetone or MEK (with all the potential collateral damage...). This stuff is really good for fixing items on PCBs...

author: eTobey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2023, 06:20:34 am
content: If industrial hot glue is not much different than normal hot glue, i would say its not that.What is IPA? Google only gave me "India Pale Ale".

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2023, 07:20:01 am
content: Quote from: eTobey on May 12, 2023, 06:20:34 amIsopropyl alcohol (isopropanol).

author: Berni
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2023, 07:42:10 am
content: If it is anything along the lines of hot glue then isopopyl alcohol and some prying will get it offTho since you say the glue appears pretty hard makes me think it is some sort of epoxy. Those are very resilient against being dissolved with solvents. For those the best way is to heat it up to around 150°C and then chip away at it with a sharp object. High temperature doesn't actually soften or melt it, but it does make it a lot more brittle when hot, so much less force is needed to gently "chisel away" at it.

author: abdulbadii
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2023, 08:44:11 am
content: Imho try to heat ~ 170 C (eg, by solder iron) if gets softened or melts it's ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), ethylene-methyl acrylate (EMA). polyesters, polyethylene/polyamide, or polyolefin, combination of which is being a hot glue constituentif not it could be epoxy resin (not siliconized one as no white color), then rub the areas to be removed with a clean, soft cloth dampened with high(est) concentrate acetone, keep the acetone in contact with that area unless it's surely parted

author: flolic
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2023, 10:32:52 am
content: It looks just like thermosetting epoxy (SMD glue, to hold SMD parts on the PCB during double side reflow).You can scrape it off when you heat it with hot air at 200+ C.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 12, 2023, 10:47:55 am
content: It looks like it is there to mechanically reinforce the white push button switch. Why do you want to remove it?

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 13, 2023, 01:14:39 pm
content: Quote from: eTobey on May 12, 2023, 06:20:34 amthe color from the 3m things i saw is bang onbut i never melted it, I just saw the glue sticks inside of the box of the expenisve glue gun that looked very much that color, but it was also old.but I doubt its that hard, so its probobly epoxy

author: GigaJoe
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 16, 2023, 01:50:41 am
content: poke it by solder iron - see how it reactcould be heat gun and pilers will help

author: Berni
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 16, 2023, 05:18:22 am
content: Yep for epoxy the way i do it is heat it with hot air (set to a bit below normal soldering temperature) while roughly poking and prying at it with some sharp metal tool (The aim is to make it crack so sharper the tool the less force is needed)