Can an acrylate-based light curable adhesive with secondary thermal cure capability be cured with heat alone?
Yes. However, due to the relatively slow kinetics of thermal initiation, oxygen inhibition has a more profound effect with thermal-only cures. For this reason, the adhesive must be cured under nitrogen. Because of the long cure times needed, this type of cure is generally not recommended. In applications where the initial cure is achieved with light, a protective skin is formed on the adhesive’s surface, preventing any in-diffusion of oxygen from the atmosphere. This allows any remaining adhesive shadowed from the light to be thermally cured without the need for an inert atmosphere.
