Encapsulation Resins Solutions for challenging environments ELECTROLUBE THE SOLUTIONS PEOPLE

Encapsulation Resins • UL approved • Cable jointing • Potting / encapsulating • Coloured and optically clear Resin systems are designed to protect and insulate printed circuit boards (PCBs) and electronic components from the threats of harsh and challenging environments, including; moisture, vibration, thermal or physical shock and general contamination. By encapsulating the entire device, resins can form a complete barrier against such environments offering superior performance under extreme conditions. Potting and encapsulation resins also offer excellent mechanical protection. Mechanical protection...

Resin Types The extensive Electrolube product range consists of epoxy, polyurethane and silicone resin systems available for general purpose and customer specific applications. Typically, polyurethanes are used for their flexibility, variable shore hardness and short pot life. In general, epoxy resins are much harder materials, offering superior chemical resistance and physical protection to the polyurethane type. Silicone resins are typically used for high temperature applications and offer excellent protection in extremely harsh conditions. Epoxy Resins Polyurethane Resins • Very tough systems...

Comparison of Shore Hardness vs. Temperature — General Purpose Epoxy — General Purpose Polyurethane — General Purpose Silicone -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 * Shore A and D run from 0-100 Shore A10 is very soft and flexible Shore D90 is very hard and rigid Shore A95 = Shore D45 Comparison of Typical Operating Temperature Ranges 200 150 100 50 0 ■ Epoxy ■ Polyurethane ■ Silicone Lower Temperature Range Upper Temperature Range

Product Choice The electronics industry is one of the most rapidly expanding industries to date, with new applications seemingly endless. Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are found in many domestic, industrial, automotive and military devices, to name but a few. In order to ensure reliability of these critical devices it is essential that the PCBs are protected to prevent reduced performance or in the worst case, complete failure. Electrolube offer a comprehensive range of resins to meet the increasing demands of the electronics industry. Examples of a few applications and suitable product choices...

RF Applications Applications where RF signals are transmitted require encapsulation resins that will not interfere with the information transfer. Such applications are rapidly increasing and the automotive industry is just one example; an increase in intelligent systems has resulted in information being transferring from various sensors positioned on a car to the dashboard display. The key property to refer to in this case is the dielectric constant or permittivity. High frequency devices, for example, would require a low dielectric constant of 3-3.5. These systems may include specialist fillers...

Marine Environments Applications in marine environments require excellent resistance to immersion in salt water; there are often other application requirements that must also be considered, however. Typical applications may include under-water cable jointing, protection of LED lighting on ship decks and protection of various sensor devices. In such cases, clear or coloured resins may be needed and must offer high adhesion and low dielectric constant throughout the lifetime of the device operating in harsh conditions. • UR5041 – Highly Water Resistant Polyurethane Resin • UR5083 – Recoverable...

Specific Properties There are also a number of specialist properties that may be required for certain applications. Electrolube offer a range of products to cover a wide variety of requirements, some of which are listed below: Flame Retardant A product may be UL94 approved, with V-0 being the highest level of flame retardancy. In addition, Electrolube offer in-house testing to this standard in order to grade non-approved products. Highly Chemically Resistant Most encapsulation resins in the Electrolube Range will offer protection against short-term exposure to chemicals such as solvents, oils...

Application Considerations Prior to the application of encapsulation resins it is important to consider what contaminants may be present on the PCB or device. In a ‘no-clean’ process for example, the residues left on the PCB will be noncorrosive however there may be other possible sources of contamination. Any potentially harmful contaminants left on the PCB before encapsulating with a resin material can result in failure of the device. In addition, some residues may cause issues with adhesion of the encapsulation resin to the PCB or outer casing, in turn, reducing the protection level offered. Manual...

Application Considerations Bulk Mixing When mixing, care must be taken to avoid the introduction of excessive amounts of air. Automatic mixing equipment is available which will not only mix both the resin and hardener accurately in the correct ratio but do this without introducing air. Containers of Part A (Resin) and Part B (Hardener) should be kept sealed at all times when not in use to prevent the ingress of moisture. Bulk material must be thoroughly mixed before use. Incomplete mixing will result in erratic or partial curing. Electrolube work closely with equipment suppliers to ensure the...

ER1122 (Clear Amber) • Excellent adhesion to a wide variety of substrates • Mix ratio can be altered to vary flexibility • Good electrical properties • Can be used as an adhesive or encapsulant ER1426 (Water white) • Excellent clarity • Very low viscosity • Long useable life • Ideal for impregnation applications ER1451 (Clear) and ER1450 (White) • High water resistance • Excellent adhesive properties • Low dielectric constant • Very low viscosity ER2162 (Black) • Exceptional chemical resistance • Ideal for applications where frequent immersion in fuels may occur • Good electrical properties •...