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Conductive Adhesives/Inks Specializing in silver filled adhesives/inks for industry www.conductives.com

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Make Conductive Glue and Glue a Circuit

by mikey77 Print PDF Favorite Facebook Twitter E-mail Flag

Author: mikey77 author's website I believe that the purpose of life is to learn how to do our best and not give in to the weaker way.

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Instructables is Hiring! Java Developer, Sales, Editor & Interns intro Make Conductive Glue and Glue a Circuit
This is an instructable on the best conductive glue I have been able to make that uses easy to obtain materials, glues well to most materials, is quite flexible and has a low resistance. Unfortunately for me, it uses a rubber or plastic mixture that I do not know the chemical composition of, so I cannot patent it. There are many kinds of conductive epoxies, glues, and rubbers available. Unfortunately, they are for the most part quite expensive. So, for more than four years, I have been trying every possible combination of likely elements, compounds, and solvents that I could get my hands on, in order to make my own truly affordable conductive glue. While I have found several that have excellent low conductivity, they tend to be quite brittle and have a tendency to crack. The conductive glue presented here does not have these problems. Because this glue is quite flexible and you can vary its resistance, it has potential for different kinds of paint on sensors for robots or other devices. It should be possible to paint on strain gauges on the outside of a regular glove and use it for virtual reality or other control possibilities. Touch sensors and membrane switches can be painted on various flexible or rigid surfaces. It can be used to paint on wires and resistors and as a glued solder joint. It can also be used to paint on strain gauges, temperature sensors, electromagnetic shielding, antennas, and push-button switches. I suspect, that with more experimentation, it may be possible to use it to create capacitors, diodes and transistors. INFO SUBSCRIBERS STATS

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4.90 (66 ratings) Author: mikey77 Published: Jun 30, 2007 19 License: Subscribe views

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step 1 Materials for the Conductive Glue and Circuit

Carbon Graphite, fine powder-Available in larger quantities at http://www.elementalscientific.net/ Available in smaller quantities at your local hardware store. It's called lubricating graphite and comes in small tubes or bottles. The brand I used successfully is called AGS Extra Fine Graphite, but no doubt there are other brands that will also work. Performix(tm) liquid tape, black-Available at Wal-Mart or http://www.thetapeworks.com/liquid-tape.htm Mixing cups or glass container 1/4 and 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoons Glass or plastic mixing rod Cardboard for stencil Toluol paint thinner (optional)-Available at most hardware stores. Conductive thread (optional)-Available in larger spools at http://members.shaw.ca/ubik/thread/order.html It is available in smaller spools at http://www.Inklesspress.com/electronic_parts_2.htm Circuit materials of your choice

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i More Related

GUIDES

CONDUCTIVE FABRIC

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SOFT CIRCUIT CONTEST

1-40 of 182 next

movieman97 says:
1

Jan 14, 2011. 6:33 AM If I were to add the graphite powder to model magic or some other type of air dry clay, would that make it conductive? REPLY [flag]

Mdob says:

Apr 14, 2010. 7:59 AM Could you mix solder paste (not flux) with liquid tape (and glue?) to form a conductive glue? REPLY [flag]

FEATURED AUTHOR: LYNNE BRUNING

nutsandbolts_64 says:
14

Apr 27, 2010. 1:35 AM Umm, the paste itself is already conductive. Why would you need to mix solder paste with glue? If you're trying to dilute it post it as a question. REPLY [flag]

Mdob says:

Apr 27, 2010. 7:39 AM Oh so you could just use solder paste a conductive glue. I just didn't think that it was sticky enough. And yes diluting would be good because solder paste is hella expensive. REPLY [flag]

ARDUINO
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beehard44 says:
4

Nov 20, 2010. 9:29 AM uuh, looks like nutsandbolts_64 didn't know solder paste at the time of writing ( i asked him this morning) just mix solder paste and electric tape. the liquid tape will act as a binder. REPLY [flag]

GROUPS

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nutsandbolts_64 says:
14

Dec 1, 2010. 11:10 PM PS I already knew it @ the time of writing. I just thought it's dilutable, but then again, there's a hole in my logic! REPLY [flag]

beehard44 says:
4

Dec 2, 2010. 8:11 AM woah, i thought you were grounded! anyways, there's the hole and it just got patched up. REPLY [flag]

nutsandbolts_64 says:
14

Apr 27, 2010. 1:43 AM If you just chuck a piece of charcoal into a ball mill could the resulting powder be used for your conductive glue? And I was also wondering if you can just mix it with Elmer's Glue, or any other house/homemade glue? I mean why use Liquid Tape (of which none exists here in the whole country, literally)? P.S.: I think conductive paint will set the stage for painted circuit boards. REPLY [flag]

beehard44 says:
4

Nov 20, 2010. 9:31 AM REPLY [flag]

double post? srsly?

nutsandbolts_64 says:
14

Apr 27, 2010. 1:33 AM If you just chuck a piece of charcoal into a ball mill could the resulting powder be used for your conductive glue? And I was also wondering if you can just mix it with Elmer's Glue, or any other house/homemade glue? I mean why use Liquid Tape (of which none exists here in the whole country, literally)? REPLY [flag]

beehard44 says:
4

Nov 20, 2010. 9:31 AM uuh, i saw one in ace. And another one in the hardware of a famous department store other than sierra mike (you know that...) REPLY [flag]

jingerfinger says:

Sep 24, 2009. 6:37 PM I am trying out crushing 2B pencil leads and mixing them with paper glue. Just for those tiny projects. Hope I remember to report my findings :) REPLY [flag]

jingerfinger says:

Sep 25, 2009. 11:40 AM Failed! I huess I could not crush the graphite fine enough. Will look for some poweder... :) REPLY [flag]

beehard44 says:
4

Nov 20, 2010. 9:20 AM try scraping pencil lead with the knife angled to the direction of scraping. works nicely for me REPLY [flag]

bpfh says:

Nov 1, 2010. 1:20 AM REPLY [flag]

Crushed graphite core from a AA/AAA battery?

Goodhart says: The old c and d batteries used them too (non-alkaline)
32

Jan 27, 2011. 7:46 AM REPLY [flag]

bpfh says:

Jan 29, 2011. 10:17 AM I actually found graphite powder lubricant in my local car part store on the same rack as spanners and not with the lube strangely enough. I need to do some tests with it first... REPLY [flag]

Goodhart says:

Jan 29, 2011. 11:26 AM

32

yes, the rod in the old style c and d cells were carbon rods, and if cleaned properly could also be used as "cutting rods" for low amp arch welders :-) REPLY [flag]

bpfh says:

Jan 31, 2011. 1:50 PM Cutting rods for arc welders. Not heard of that, but it piques my interest. Google here I come - A potential use for my welder !!! REPLY [flag] Feb 1, 2011. 6:58 AM Goodhart says: Be forwarned; carbon cutting rods "burn up" fast, even the commercially made ones, for arch welders. Also, if you do use the ones from old carbon batteries, make sure they are cleaned VERY well (or wear a gas mask :-) as some of the fumes might be toxic. REPLY [flag]

32

freerunnin1 says:
3

Jan 13, 2010. 12:19 PM try a mortar and pestle to crush the graphite, keep continually grinding it until it is a fine powder. REPLY [flag] Jan 24, 2010. 6:49 AM nwlaurie says: Unfortunately pencils are made with a mix of graphite and clay so it's much less ikely to work like the original REPLY [flag] Jan 24, 2010. 6:51 AM nwlaurie says: after a bit of pondering (but no experimenting) I wonder if the leftover toner from a laser printer cartridge might work ... (this is also very messy stuff for not inhaling) REPLY [flag]

amando96 says:
8

Feb 18, 2010. 4:42 AM i tried toner, fell on the floor, used the vacuum machine, it goes through the holes in the bag of the vacuum, its worse now fml REPLY [flag]

bpfh says:

Oct 31, 2010. 2:42 AM Laser toner is plastic.... it is melted onto paper. I doubt that apart from a terrible mess that you would get anything conductive from it! REPLY [flag]

bpfh says:

Nov 1, 2010. 1:23 AM On the subject of cleaning, toner is static sensitive, so a brush and something with a large static charge could help (that his how a laser printer works; a laser charges a drum which then attracts the toner to the drum as it spins, then paper is then rolled over the drum and then heated to fuse the plastic to the paper. Otherwise, you need a vac with a HEPA filter which may (or may not) help... REPLY [flag]

DAVIDJ927 says:

Aug 8, 2010. 9:58 AM I"m using a mixture of about 3/4 graphite to one part Elmer's glue to repair contact pads in my remote...they could be cleaned no more. So far seems to work fine. Thanks for the tip, I have about 4 bucks in the tube of graphite and glue. REPLY [flag]

astrialkil says:

Sep 15, 2010. 4:29 AM REPLY

Is this plane old white Elmer's or the blue jell?

[flag]

DAVIDJ927 says:

Sep 15, 2010. 5:12 AM Plain old white elmer's, you have to experiment to get proper conductivity, you want a nice black... worked for me! Let me know.... REPLY [flag] May 16, 2010. 8:29 AM iectyx3c says: Thank you for sharing your years of experience, I have tried this exactly as you recommend and it works great and is much cheaper and just about as conductive as commercial brands. For me, the 1.5 to 1 ratio is a tad confusing. How about just 3 parts graphite to 2 parts liquid tape ? It amounts to the same thing of course. * * * * Use a tiny measuring spoon Add 3 level spoonfuls of graphite to your mixing cup Wipe off the spoon Add 2 slightly overfilled spoonfuls of liquid tape

23

This I'ble is way above average. Good work. REPLY [flag]

astrialkil says:

Sep 15, 2010. 4:34 AM You got something here! Its more accurate to put in 3 whole spoons then guess at 1.5 spoons as your going to use the same spoon, any spoon and not gunk up your dedicated measuring spoons. REPLY [flag]

shilpa50184 says:

Sep 3, 2010. 10:24 PM hi, i too was searching for a conductive gle, i wanted to purchase silver loaded epoxy which is very expensive. I need the conductive glue to paste my graphite electrode with electric cable for a electrochemical cell, here the electrode would be a bit heavier will your glue composition hold good for suspending the electrode. please reply. REPLY [flag]

venkboy says:

Aug 1, 2010. 4:13 AM Can you use sugar that is over heated, in an airtight container? That will be carbon I guess, and it is very powdery. REPLY [flag]

madscientist167 says:
1

Jul 25, 2010. 6:42 PM REPLY [flag]

can i use powdered iron oxide instead of graphite

westfw says:
27

Jul 1, 2007. 1:42 AM I know that lubricating graphite makes a conductive result with elmer's glue; I haven't tried to make circuits with it, just ... other things. I've been meaning to TRY circuits with the mix, but I haven't gotten around to it... Nice instructable; good explanations, good research, new sources (!) (are YOU "inkless press", or does that mean there is more about this elsewhere?) It would be interesting to see info on some of the things you tried that didn't work so well. In particular, I've been wondering about mixtures of graphite and powdered copper or stainless steel from this eBay seller. REPLY [flag] Jul 1, 2007. 12:27 PM mikey77 (author) says: Thanks for the nice link for metal powders. Using other binders (glues, epoxies, silicones, etc) I have tried metal powders such as copper, tin, aluminum, bismuth, silver, and titanium. I have tried a dozen metal oxides. I have not tried all these

19

things with the liquid tape. There is plenty of room for all of you to experiment and come up with something better. In fact, the best conductive glue I came up with involved copper powder and sodium silicate. It had a resistance of about .24 ohms per inch. Unfortunately the mixes involving metals tended to turn out quite brittle and sometimes shrunk away after a year from the wires I used to test conductivity. I am inkless press and am temporarily offering small quantities of graphite for those who want to try this out. Obviously, if the lubricating graphite works, everyones best bet is to go to Wal-Mart (Ive seen it there) or a hardware store and not have to wait for an order from anyone. REPLY [flag]

joe krzywicki says:

Jul 5, 2010. 7:55 AM Very very informative. I have a quick question about the copper/sodium silicate combination. I may want to try it on two flat pieces of nickel as a brace where shrinkage would not matter. Where there any other problems and what proportions did you use? Any other ingredients? Excellent work. REPLY [flag]

wasanthakumaraginige says:

Apr 27, 2010. 11:55 PM Hi, We have rubber conductive pads used for electronic muscle stimulation. but now they don't give the electronic pulse we need. So, If we can make the rubber conductive pads at home, it will be very useful to us. So, If you have any idea of how to make those pads please tell me the way how to make them and what are the materials need. REPLY [flag]

cantsolder says:

Oct 6, 2009. 11:21 AM Your glue sounds like the substitute for soldering I have been looking for. Unfortunately I am rather sensitive to tolulene and other benzene-type solvents so I need to find the least noxious and least flammable formula. What about "liquid nails" silicone? It is noxious but not as noxious as liquid tape. Also has anyone tried making hot melt glue conductive? REPLY [flag]

nutsandbolts_64 says:
14

Apr 27, 2010. 1:41 AM I was wondering about that. I'm thinking make a fire-resistant mold of the glue stick, heat it up, stick the stick in there, apply graphite powder and mix mixture carefully and evenly. Tada! REPLY [flag] 1-40 of 182 next

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