Frequently Asked Questions
What are the shipping and storage concerns of EMCAST epoxies?
Depending on the material and its associated cure method, shipping and storage issues vary from no restrictions to shipment on dry ice and frozen storage. The majority of EMCAST UV curable products can be shipped normal ground service and require only refrigeration for long term storage.
What wavelength of the UV spectrum is required to cure EMCAST UV epoxies?
EMCAST epoxies respond to the safer “long wave” part of the UV spectrum, which is approximately 310 to 365 nanometers.
How much UV is required to cure EMCAST epoxies?
The UV intensity requirement for EMCAST epoxies depends on several factors such as the mass size of material to be cured, substrates, temperature, light sources, etc. Therefore some experimentation is required to find the optimum combination of time vs. intensity. As a starting point, EMI recommends an exposure of 30 seconds to 3 minutes of 75-200 milliwatts per square centimeter.
Will unexposed areas of EMCAST UV epoxies cure?
EMCAST epoxies possess what is known as the “dark cure” phenomenon. This phenomenon is that once the material is adequately irradiated and the cure has begun, the cure will continue to completion on its own, even in the dark, but faster in the light and/or heat. This “dark cure” however will not propagate into unexposed areas such as under a device or component. In these applications a material with some sort of secondary cure mechanism such as a Thermal or Visible light will be required to cure these areas.
What types of packaging options are there for EMCAST epoxies?
EMI prides itself on offering a wide range of different package types. Currently we are packaging in 3, 5, 10, 30 & 55cc syringes, 60, 100, 250, 500, 1000cc bottles and even 1- and 5-gallon pails.