Is wire glue useful for anything?

[kalel]

There are multiple kinds of "wire glue" or "conductive glue" products sold, some seem to be based on carbon and others have added silver. I remember someone somewhere even mentioning making his own glue by adding (I think) graphite powder into a water soluble glue (whether that's cheaper or more effective than existing solutions, I don't know).

Anyway, what are these useful for, what are they not useful for, and are they useful for anything?

[Jwalling]

I use the stuff for refurbing the conductive pads on rubber keyboard membranes. Sometimes they go high resistance and no longer function. Works great!

[jpanhalt]

There is a newer "glue" available based on the old Tollens reaction.  The new product gives much thicker deposits of nano-silver particles and is said to have conductance almost equivalent to pure silver: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ja209267c

Some say it can even be soldered.

One use is "true" printed circuits.

John

[kalel]

There is a newer "glue" available based on the old Tollens reaction.  The new product gives much thicker deposits of nano-silver particles and is said to have conductance almost equivalent to pure silver: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ja209267c

Some say it can even be soldered.

One use is "true" printed circuits.

John

Maybe one day we will be able to print circuits in a hopefully affordable printer? I heard/saw somewhere that they can print some organs, even hearts experimentally (although not so affordable or available), so... why not something conductive too.

[jpanhalt]

Ironically, I was involved in a past life with regenerative medicine.  Yes, we can sort of print functioning organs on a support matrix.  It is today working at some level; although, the ability to print a new heart is still not quite possible.  It will be.  My daughter is now in that field.

As for the silver glue, I have been tempted several times to make up a batch, but found an alternative.  In anticipation of a need, I have procured the needed reagents.

The original Tollens reaction, which I first saw more than 50 years ago, is quite impressive.  Try it.

John

[X]

There is a newer "glue" available based on the old Tollens reaction.  The new product gives much thicker deposits of nano-silver particles and is said to have conductance almost equivalent to pure silver: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ja209267c

Some say it can even be soldered.

One use is "true" printed circuits.

John

NurdRage posted a video a few years back showing how to make such ink:

It appears he got the idea from the source you mentioned as well.

Wire glue comes in handy if you want to do a basic bodge job repair, but keep in mind that it does have a noticeable resistance. But if it isn't too expensive for you then get some.

[P90]

they make a similar conductive paint for shielding electric guitar control cavities, to minimize interface and hum.

[kalel]

they make a similar conductive paint for shielding electric guitar control cavities, to minimize interface and hum.

Makes me think of single coil pickups as traditionally used by legendary Fender guitars. There's definitely a bit of hum and buzz. Although, by now, I'm sure that there are single coil pickups with techniques to remove it.

[retrolefty]

My long gone 1984 Ford Thunderbird came with real window defroster that attached wire connectors to elements embedded in the glass with some kind of conductive epoxy or other type of glue. It seemed to carry significant current although I never measured it. Should be affordable as it's an automotive thing?

[dferyance]

While not glue, I've used conductive paint quite often. I've done some electroforming / electroplating of objects and conductive paint is needed for things that aren't originally conductive. It is also quite useful for making temporary connections. I have connected wires to objects using conductive paint where the high-temperature of solder would damaged it and I needed a connection I could remove without causing other problems.

When it comes to electronics, the conductive pens I've used just have way too much resistance to be very useful. Also metal particulate paint has been way less reliable for me than graphite paint. The graphite tends to spread more evenly and doesn't leave much of a gap in the conductive surface. While metal paint can clump and you end up using much of the binder and not the metal particles so it looks like a conductive surface but is pretty poor and unreliable as one. Of course graphite isn't as good of a conductor as the metals they use to create conductive paint.

So I don't really trust the stuff for anything important but it can be quite useful in certain cases.

[kalel]

While not glue, I've used conductive paint quite often. I've done some electroforming / electroplating of objects and conductive paint is needed for things that aren't originally conductive. It is also quite useful for making temporary connections. I have connected wires to objects using conductive paint where the high-temperature of solder would damaged it and I needed a connection I could remove without causing other problems.

When it comes to electronics, the conductive pens I've used just have way too much resistance to be very useful. Also metal particulate paint has been way less reliable for me than graphite paint. The graphite tends to spread more evenly and doesn't leave much of a gap in the conductive surface. While metal paint can clump and you end up using much of the binder and not the metal particles so it looks like a conductive surface but is pretty poor and unreliable as one. Of course graphite isn't as good of a conductor as the metals they use to create conductive paint.

So I don't really trust the stuff for anything important but it can be quite useful in certain cases.

How is the conductive paint used, as a spray solely? If so, and it doesn't have too much resistance, maybe one could cut out or burn out holes/guides in a piece of paper or plastic, then spray through it and get whatever shape is desired on the surface below.

[Zero999]

Out of all the conductive glues and paints I've seen, the conductive material is either carbon (poor conductivity & cheap) or silver (excellent conductivity but expensive).

Has anyone seen a conductive glue or paint which uses cheaper metal than silver such as aluminium or copper?

[P90]

While not glue, I've used conductive paint quite often. I've done some electroforming / electroplating of objects and conductive paint is needed for things that aren't originally conductive. It is also quite useful for making temporary connections. I have connected wires to objects using conductive paint where the high-temperature of solder would damaged it and I needed a connection I could remove without causing other problems.

When it comes to electronics, the conductive pens I've used just have way too much resistance to be very useful. Also metal particulate paint has been way less reliable for me than graphite paint. The graphite tends to spread more evenly and doesn't leave much of a gap in the conductive surface. While metal paint can clump and you end up using much of the binder and not the metal particles so it looks like a conductive surface but is pretty poor and unreliable as one. Of course graphite isn't as good of a conductor as the metals they use to create conductive paint.

So I don't really trust the stuff for anything important but it can be quite useful in certain cases.

How is the conductive paint used, as a spray solely? If so, and it doesn't have too much resistance, maybe one could cut out or burn out holes/guides in a piece of paper or plastic, then spray through it and get whatever shape is desired on the surface below.

the conductive paint I've used comes in a can and it's brushed on, usually black in color. It seems to help with 60Hz hum and single coil pickups...

[jpanhalt]

Copper conductive paint is quite common.  The inside of the plastic enclosure for my TEK TDS210 is sprayed with it as were some early PC's .

Here is one of several examples of a search for copper conductive paint: https://www.amazon.com/Copper-Conductive-Paint/dp/B00A6FO6G8

One should not confuse "paint" with nano-particle deposit of silver one gets with the Tollens reaction.   One of its early uses was silvering mirrors.  Paints are not nearly as conductive nor reflective.

John

[P90]

Copper conductive paint is quite common.  The inside of the plastic enclosure for my TEK TDS210 is sprayed with it as were some early PC's .

Here is one of several examples of a search for copper conductive paint: https://www.amazon.com/Copper-Conductive-Paint/dp/B00A6FO6G8

One should not confuse "paint" with nano-particle deposit of silver one gets with the Tollens reaction.   One of its early uses was silvering mirrors.  Paints are not nearly as conductive nor reflective.

John

Yeah, the conductive paint is basically for shielding, and fairy high in resistance, obviously no ones making pcb traces with it. LOL