Shelf life of adhesive materials

[Ray Kunz]

Has anyone had experience with short life of cyanoacrolyte (crazy-glues)? On the brand I've been using there are no date codes and I've had some harden right in the unopened tubes. (Who knows how long it was on the store shelf?)
To avoid this problem lately I've been using U.V. material anywhere the joint is exposed with success. But the U.V. stuff doesn't have date codes on it either but I've had no problems.
In the "old days" I was addicted to good old Sally Hansen's but I'm getting too impatient in my old age.
All comments are welcome. Thanks.

[ScottP]

When I used to make model airplanes, I kept my C-A adhesives in the fridge to extend their shelf life. Don't know if it still works these days.

Regards,
Scott

[billhouk]

Most adhesives don't age well. I keep mine In old medicine bottles. Airtight and translucent helps but, the chemical reactions are so sophisticated that only helps a little bit. (I think the speed at which they dry out is proportional to how expensive / hard to find / badly needed they are...)

[Grn Mt Man]

ScottP, Keep my cyanoacrylate/Crazy Glue/ Super Glue or whatever brand in the fridge too. Seems to do just fine for a pretty long time. Been using it for years and especially in the wintertime I use it to cover cracks/splits that I seem to get in my fingers/hands. Combination of dryness and cold I reckon but have had it all my life. Wife said I was crazy a long time ago but have made a believer out of her once she tried it. Immediately takes the soreness/pain away and helps heal the cracks fairly good while covering them. According to some warnings it can cause "cancer" used this way but almost 75 years later I'm still doing okay!!!

[Buddy Sanders]

I've had issues with this as well.

I think that there are so many variables in storage/temperature/humidity/moon phase/mood of the universe that there can't be an accurate answer to 'how long' it will last.

I've had some CA glues last for a couple of years, left open on the bench, and then a new bottle of the same stuff goes hard in a few months.....

In any event, I always keep a new 'unopened' package of the stuff I use the most on hand, just in case. So far, the new 'unopened' packages have all been fine for at least a year without any special attention.

Buddy

[Rick Z]

The only time I have CA dry on me was when I left the cap off and the humidity was high.

Rick