You’ve been introduced to Purok VX67 as a potential adhesive for your bonding situation. Now you want to know all about it.
Here at Forgeway, we manufacture over 3000 tonnes of adhesive products every year. Purok VX67 is one of those products.
But what actually is it, what are the benefits and drawbacks, where could you use it, and what do our customers say about the product?
This article discusses all of these points to help you determine whether Purok VX67 could be a good fit for you.
What is Purok VX67?
Purok VX67 is a methyl methacrylate adhesive that comes in a 10:1, two-component cartridge. It can reach a lap shear strength of up to 15Mpa and is very ‘hard’ after it has cured.
There are two variations of VX67 available; VX67-15 and VX67-30. The number after the name indicates the length of time it takes to reach a solid state (shore A hardness of 40). For example, VX67-15 takes 15 minutes to reach a shore A hardness of 40.
Originally, our chemists developed the product for bonding solid surfaces (products like Hi-Macs and Corian). However, it is suitable for bonding dissimilar materials such as metals (doesn’t matter if they are painted or bare), plastics, glass, and ceramics.
What are the advantages of using Purok VX67?
- It is very strong and durable. 15Mpa is the equivalent of being able to withstand 15Kg of force per square millimetre of adhesive. So VX67 is strong. It’s not just strong though, VX67 is durable too meaning there is little you can do to break the bond, even over time.
- You can colour match VX67. If you want the adhesive to be a specific colour to match the substrate, you can achieve that with VX67. Either provide a colour reference or a sample of the colour you are trying to match and we can scan this for a perfect match in our laboratory.
- Speedy cure time. We have already mentioned that VX67 reaches a solid state in a very short amount of time. But once it reaches this solid state it will be at around 90% of its full strength. It will not take more than 24 hours to reach maximum strength.
- Doesn’t require much surface preparation. All methyl methacrylates can ‘cut through’ any surface contamination. VX67 is no different. You will not need to extensively prepare the surface before applying the adhesive to achieve a strong bond.
- Superior UV stability. All methyl methacrylate products are prone to yellowing when exposed to UV. However, VX67 has superior anti-yellowing qualities and will not go as yellow as other methacrylates when exposed to UV.
- It is very hard. VX67 reaches a shore A hardness of 90. To put that into context, that is 90 duros out of 100. This is a benefit because it means it doesn’t stain or trap dirt easily. It also means you can sand the adhesive once it has reached maximum hardness.
- It is thixotropic. For those unfamiliar with the word, it is quite simple. It basically means you don’t need to worry about the adhesive running. So if you applied it to the edge of the substrate, it won’t run but will stay in position.
- Good temperature resistance. This is similar to the point about durability. VX67 maintains its strength when exposed to temperatures from -50℃ to 100℃.
- It is resistant to some chemicals. VX67 will maintain its strength when exposed to water, aliphatic solvents, mineral oils, grease, diluted inorganic acids and alkalis.
What are the disadvantages of using Purok VX67?
- There is a strong smell associated with using VX67. Whilst this smell is not harmful, it can be very unpleasant for some. Although if you have good ventilation and PPE, the smell will not be a significant problem.
- It has a high exothermic reaction temperature. During the curing process, all methyl methacrylates will heat up. VX67 reaches a temperature of 100℃ during peak exotherm. This is a problem if you are using VX67 to bond substrates with very low heat resistance.
- It can be too hard sometimes. Shore A hardness of 90 is very high. And whilst it can be a benefit for the reasons we mentioned above, it can also be a drawback. This is because VX67 becomes so hard that it can make it challenging to sand the excess glue that has also dried.
- Some chemicals will affect the strength. VX67 has good resistance to some chemicals, but some chemicals will affect its performance. Aromatic solvents, concentrated acids, and chlorinated hydrocarbons are all chemicals that will lessen VX67’s strength.
- The hardener (part B) is very reactive. This will not be a problem if you store the product correctly. We have seen the hardener change when the adhesive had prolonged exposure to temperatures above 35℃. We recommend storing VX67 between 10℃ – 25℃.
- It can be difficult to apply. As with all two-component adhesives, ensuring the product mixes correctly is never easy. It takes a degree of skill to ‘balance’ the cartridge so the two parts are mixed properly.
- It is flammable when uncured. Only some variations of methyl methacrylate aren’t flammable when they are in a liquid state. However, VX67 is flammable as a liquid.
Where can you use Purok VX67?
So you now know the advantages and disadvantages of using VX67. But where can you actually use it?
Technically you can use VX67 anywhere you need to bond dissimilar materials. However, the advantages and disadvantages we discussed above make this adhesive the best choice in certain situations.
As already mentioned above, the primary example of this is the solid surface industry. Solid surface worktop/countertop manufacturers (like Corian and Himacs) create products that require bonding upon installation. The materials used for these countertops can range from ceramics and granite to acrylic and quartz.
Purok VX67 is the perfect adhesive for bonding solid surfaces. It is strong, durable, and fast-curing making it easy and efficient to work with. But what sets it apart is the ability to colour-match the adhesive, and its hardness means you can sand any excess to make a very clean finish.
So if you supply solid surface worktops/countertops and require an adhesive that is tailor-made to suit your specific bonding requirements, Purok VX67 is the product for you.
You can also use VX67 as a ‘tack’ glue to hold substrates in place while the main adhesive cures, and you can use it as a repair glue to fill in any imperfections in solid surface situations.
Is Purok VX67 a good fit for you?
Without knowing your specific situation it is very difficult for us to say whether VX67 is a good fit for you.
However, if you work in the solid surface industry or supply solid surfaces, we would say Purok VX67 will be a very good fit for you.
If you read the disadvantages we discussed above and think that it might not be a good fit for you, you can have a read through some of the other structural adhesives to help find a better fit.
Or, if you like the sound of VX67 and think it will be a good fit for you, you can get in touch with a member of our team to discuss testing and next steps.
You can follow the link below to download the technical data sheet of VX67-15.
Alternatively, you can download VX67-30’s data sheet on our website.