With a wide range of NEXTITE Instant Adhesives available, identifying the right product can be a challenge. We have created this guide to help you understand cyanoacrylate adhesives and choose the most suitable adhesive for your application. We are updating it regularly to include all of our instant adhesives. For a PDF copy to keep around the workshop download it here.
What are Instant Adhesives?
NEXTITE Instant Adhesives are single-component, fast curing cyanoacrylate adhesives (also commonly referred to as super glues) which are designed for precision bonding across a wide range of materials. They cure in seconds when exposed to moisture on the surfaces of the materials they are bonding, forming strong and durable bonds without the need for mixing or heat curing.
Why are there so many options?
Cyanoacrylate adhesives may seem similar, but each formulation is carefully formulated in specific areas to excel in different applications. We are here to help at any time, feel free to contact our expert team and we can help you choose a suitable adhesive for your application.
Key Benefits of Instant Adhesives
Fast Fixturing
Instant Adhesives cure within seconds when exposed to trace moisture on the surface, allowing rapid assembly and post processing. This makes them ideal for production environments that require speed, efficiency and reduced clamping time.
High Strength Bonds
NEXTITE Instant Adhesives deliver exceptional bond strength across a wide range of materials. They form strong rigid joints capable of withstanding significant mechanical loads. Because of their high strength in very small bond areas, they are also ideal for precision assemblies, small components and applications where only a thin film of adhesive is needed to achieve maximum performance. Select grades also offer enhanced toughness and resistance to impact and vibration, ensuring long-term durability in demanding applications.
Material Compatibility
Cyanoacrylates bond to most common materials including plastics, rubbers and elastomers, metals, composites and ceramics to themselves and each other. Special formulations such as surface insensitive or rubber toughened grades ensure reliable adhesion on difficult to bond materials or flexible substrates. There’s even primers to allow for bonding onto notoriously difficult plastics like Polypropylene and Polyethylene.
Economic Solution
A small amount of adhesive goes a long away, making instant adhesives a cost-effective choice for manufacturers and consumers alike. The fast cure times increase production output and reduced labour costs per item. Using more is also counterintuitive as the more adhesive you use the longer it will take to cure.
No Mixing
NEXTITE Instant Adhesives are single-component systems that require no mixing. Simply apply directly from the bottle for a clean, precise and repeatable bonding process. They are ideal for manual and automated applications.
How to choose the right instant adhesive
By Performance Type
Surface Insensitive – Formulations that cure reliably even on acidic, dry or porous substrates.
Impact Resistant Rubber Toughened – Modified with elastomers for improved flexibility, impact and peel strength. Ideal for parts exposed to vibration shock or thermal cycling.
Low Odour Low Bloom – Reduces visible white residue (bloom) and odour during curing. Perfect for cosmetic assemblies, clear plastics and delicate materials.
High Temperature Resistance – Maintains bond integrity in continuous temperatures of up to 120°C. Suitable for demanding industrial applications.
Plastic Bonding – Optimised for bonding plastics such as ABS, Acrylic, Polycarbonate as well as 3D Printed Plastics.
Metal Bonding – Optimised for bonding metals via modified cyanoacrylate formula.
UV Hybrid – Cures instantly with UV Light and continues curing in areas where visible light cannot reach.
By Viscosity
Ultra Low Viscosity (1 – 20 CPS) – Water thin, wicking grade.
Low Viscosity (20 – 100 CPS) – Thin, good flow, still wicks into small gaps.
Medium Viscosity (100 – 800 CPS) – General purpose, balance between flow and control.
High Viscosity (800 – 2000 CPS) – Controlled flow and placement, small gap filling, less run off.
Ultra-High Viscosity / GEL (2000+ CPS) – Non-drip, vertical applications, precise placement.
By Fixture Time
Ultra-Fast (<5 sec) – Best for rapid assembly, or small parts requiring immediate handling strength.
Fast (5 – 25 sec) – Standard fixture time for most instant adhesives.
Extended (25+ sec) – Allows time for precise positioning or more complex parts before full fixture.
Comparison Table
Where Instant Adhesives Can Struggle and How to Combat it.
Gap Filling
Cyanoacrylate Adhesives work best on tight-fitting surfaces. Large gaps reduce curing speed and overall bond strength since cyanoacrylates rely on close surface contact and surface moisture to cure.
If working with large gaps, porous materials or need to cure the adhesive without applying between two surfaces then you can use NEXTITE CA-1 Cyanoacrylate Activator available in both aerosol or liquid form. The activator rapidly initiates curing allowing the adhesive to fully set within seconds. It’s ideal for fillet joints, thick adhesive beads, wire tacking and bridging gaps that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to cure without assistance.
Blooming and Fumes
White residue known as blooming can form around the adhesive due to vapour from the curing process. This happens when cyanoacrylate vapour reacts with moisture in the surrounding air or on nearby surfaces, leaving a visible haze or frost like deposit. While blooming does not affect the strength of the bond, it can be undesirable in visible assemblies, transparent parts or precision components where appearance is important. Blooming is more likely to occur when large amounts of adhesive are applied, when curing happens slowly due to low humidity or when ventilation is poor.
During curing instant adhesives release vapour that can produce strong fumes. These are generally harmless but can irritate eyes or respitory passages in confined spaces. Using low-odour formulations and ensuring adequate airflow helps minimise discomfort.
Blooming and fumes can be avoided by switching to a low odour, low bloom variant such as NEXTITE 503 or NEXTITE 560. These modified cyanoacrylate use an alkoxy ester formulation, which significantly reduces vapour release during curing. The result is little to no white residue, making them ideal for visible joints, clear plastics or precise assemblies where appearance is important. Not to mention they can be used in confined and low ventilated spaces without irritating the applicators.
If using a low odour, low bloom alkoxy formulation is not possible another solution is using less adhesive, you’re more than likely using too much! We know it can be tempting just to add a little bit more to be sure you get a good bond but as mentioned above it is actually causing you more issues and the adhesive can’t perform as designed. The longer a cyanoacrylate takes to cure the more vapours it releases in the process resulting in blooming or white residue around the bond. Also, even though your substrates have fixtured the adhesive still takes 24 hours to fully cure. During this time, it continues to release vapour. To minimise blooming or white residue further avoid placing freshly bonded parts into plastic bags or enclosed packaging until the adhesive has fully cured.
Temperature
Most of our cyanoacrylate formulas perform best between -55°C to 85°C. beyond this range, bond strength will reduce. They can handle short, infrequent exposure to higher temperatures but anything beyond the rated range is not ideal. This range will cover most use cases but when applications require a higher temperature resistance of up to 120°C consider using NEXTITE 501 or NEXTITE 506 for high temperature resistance.
Elasticity
Once cured, most instant adhesives form rigid bonds with limited flexibility. Theres a chance they can crack under continuous movement, impact, vibration or the expanding and contracting of two dissimilar materials. To combat this, select a rubber toughened, impact resistant cyanoacrylate like NEXTITE 510 and NEXTITE 580 which incorporate elastomer additives to improve peel and impact strength as well as flexibility.
Porous, Absorbent or Acidic Surfaces
Porous materials such as wood, MDF, leather or fabric absorb the adhesive leaving insufficient product on the surface to ensure a strong bond. Acidic substrates can also slow curing and weaken adhesion. By using a surface insensitive instant adhesive like NEXTITE 501, NEXTITE 506 or NEXTITE 554 which is designed to handle porous or acidic substrates. For highly absorbent materials you can use NEXTITE CA-1 Cyanoacrylate Activator to promote a faster cure which will stop the adhesive from absorbing into the material.
Polyolefins (PP, PE, PTFE and Similar Plastics)
Polyolefins are notoriously difficult to bond due to their low surface energy, which prevents the adhesive from properly wetting the surface.
You can use our polyolefin primer NEXTITE SP901 to modify the surface and improve adhesion. We recommend pairing this with one of our surface insensitive formulations for the best results otherwise all instant adhesive grades will work.
Key Terms Explained
Surface Insensitive
Refers to cyanoacrylate formulations that cure reliably even on acidic, dry or porous substrates. Standard grades can struggle on these surfaces, while surface insensitive variations maintain fast, consistent cure times under varying conditions.
Blooming
A white haze or residue that can form near the bond line due to vapour released during curing. While it doesn’t affect bond strength, it can affect appearance. Low Odour, Low Bloom grades minimise vapour and reduce visible residue, ideal for clear or visible assemblies.
Fixture Time
The time it takes for the adhesive to develop initial handling strength. This is when the bonded parts can be lightly handled or moved without separating, even though full cure hasn’t been achieved.
Full Cure
The time required for the adhesive to reach maximum bond strength, this typically takes about 24 hours depending on humidity and the substrate. Even after parts are fixtured, the adhesive continues to cure during this period.
Gap Filling
The ability of an adhesive to bridge small clearances or uneven surfaces between parts. Cyanoacrylates do not bridge gaps well without using an activator or a variant with higher gap filling capacity.
Ester Types
NEXTITE Cyanoacrylates are based on different ester chemistries. Each ester type has
- Ethyl Ester: Most Common, Standard Type, Fast Cure, General Purpose
- Alkoxy Ester: Low Odour, Low Bloom Variant for Aesthetic Applications
- Methyl Ester: Compatible with Metals, Fast Cure
Hybrid UV Curing
Hybrid UV Curing Cyanoacrylates combine instant bonding of UV Adhesives as well as material versatility and strength of cyanoacrylates. They cure instantly when exposed to UV Light and continue curing in areas where visible light cannot reach through surface moisture (standard cyanoacrylate adhesive curing). This dual-cure technology provides clean, low odour, high strength bonding for transparent or delicate materials. The UV Cure system is similar to using a cyanoacrylate activator like NEXTITE CA-1 meaning you can also use this hybrid system for gap filling and filleting with adhesive.
Viscosity
A measure of how thick the adhesive is. Below is our guide how we categorise by viscosity.
- Ultra Low Viscosity (1 – 20 CPS) – Water thin, wicking grade.
- Low Viscosity (20 – 100 CPS) – Thin, good flow, still wicks into small gaps.
- Medium Viscosity (100 – 800 CPS) – General purpose, balance between flow and control.
- High Viscosity (800 – 2000 CPS) – Controlled flow and placement, small gap filling, less run off.
- Ultra-High Viscosity / GEL (2000+ CPS) – Non-drip, vertical applications, precise placement.
Temperature Resistance
The temperature range within which the adhesive maintains structural integrity. Most of our cyanoacrylates perform well from -55°C to 85°C, while heat resistant grades can withstand up to 120°C or short term exposure to even higher temperatures.
Activator / Accelerator
A chemical mixture used to rapidly initiate cyanoacrylate curing, especially useful for thick adhesive layers, fillets or gap-filling applications. Can be applied before or after the adhesive depending on the process.
Primer
A surface treatment that improves adhesion to difficult materials such as polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene (PE, HDPE, LDPE), PTFE or silicone and rubber. It works by increasing the surface energy and allowing the adhesive to wet the surface properly.
Application Tips
Surface Preparation
Proper surface preparation is critical for achieving maximum bond strength. Ensure both surfaces are clean, dry and free from dust, oil or release agents. We recommend using NEXTITE PROPREP CLEANER to prepare the surface for bonding. For metals it is recommend to grit blast or abrade the surface prior to bonding for the best bond. If bonding low surface energy plastics such as polypropylene and polyethylene, apply NEXTITE SP901 before assembly to allow for adhesion.
Using tips and nozzles
Instant Adhesives are best applied in small, controlled amounts. Using precision dispensing tips or nozzles ensures consistency and accuracy in application. These tips and nozzles press fit on-top of the 20g, 50g and 100g cyanoacrylate bottles so no need for extra applicator bottles. For production environments consider using a metered dispensing system for repeatable accuracy.
Clean up
If adhesive spills or excess occurs, clean immediately before it cures. If it is cured you have two options to remove excess adhesive, by mechanical abrasion or by using NEXTITE CA DEBONDER to soften and remove cured or partially cured material. It is not recommended to use a debonder on delicate surfaces.
Storage
Cyanoacrylates are moisture-sensitive and will slowly cure if exposed to air or humidity. Keep bottles tightly sealed and stored upright in a cool, dry place. Ideal storage temperature is between 2°C and 10°C. Proper storage extends shelf life and maintains consistent performance.
Related Products
Supporting products help you get the best results from your instant adhesives, ensuring clean surfaces, primers for difficult materials, instant curing and precise application.
NEXTITE CA-1 Cyanoacrylate Activator
Accelerates cure speed for large gaps, fillet joints or porous materials. Available in liquid and aerosol form for flexibility.
NEXTITE SP901 Polyolefin Primer
Essential for bonding low surface energy plastics such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE) and PTFE. Allows for adhesion where otherwise not possible.
NEXTITE PROPREP CLEANER
Removes dust, grease and contaminants before bonding to ensure strong and reliable adhesion.
NEXTITE CA DEBONDER
Softens and removes cured cyanoacrylate from surfaces or tools. Not recommended for delicate substrates.
Precision Tips and Precision Nozzles
Provides accuracy and control when using various viscosity instant adhesives. Available in various sizes and lengths. These press-fit onto our 20g, 50g and 100g bottles.
Need Help Choosing?
Unsure which product fits your application? Our technical team is here to help. We can help recommend the most suitable adhesive for your application.
Talk to our team today for tailored advice on your bonding needs.