Product details
| Grade | Loctite 406 |
| Strength | High strength |
| Colour | Clear / colourless |
| Family | Instant adhesives |
| Brand | Loctite (Henkel) |
| Stock | Held in Dubai — buy one or bulk |
Pack sizes
| Pack | Format |
|---|
| 20 g | bottle |
| O-ring splicing kit | with 406 |
Prices on request. Tell us the quantity you need.
Check stockWhat Loctite 406 is for
The plastics and rubber grade. At 12–22 mPa·s it is roughly five times thinner than 401, which lets it wick into the close-fitting joints typical of moulded plastic parts, and it is formulated for very fast fixturing on elastomers — under five seconds on neoprene, nitrile, ABS and PVC. Qualified to Commercial Item Description A-A-3097.
Key features
- Made for plastics and elastomers — under 5 seconds on ABS, PVC, nitrile, neoprene
- Very low viscosity at 12–22 mPa·s — wicks into close joints
- 15.5 N/mm² lap shear on grit-blasted steel
- ≥6.9 N/mm² tensile on Buna-N after ten seconds
- Qualified to Commercial Item Description A-A-3097 (a regional approval)
- One part, no mixing, cures on ambient moisture
- Best results at 40–60% relative humidity
Typical applications
- Rubber
- Elastomers
- O-ring splicing
Technical data
Uncured material
| Technology | Cyanoacrylate |
| Chemical type | Ethyl cyanoacrylate |
| Appearance | Transparent, colourless to straw-coloured liquid |
| Components | One part — no mixing |
| Cure | Humidity (atmospheric moisture) |
| Viscosity, cone & plate 25°C | 12–22 mPa·s at 3,000 s⁻¹ |
| Viscosity, Brookfield LVF 25°C | Spindle 1 at 30 rpm: 15–25 mPa·s |
| Viscosity class | Low |
| Specific gravity at 25°C | 1.1 |
| Key substrates | Plastics and rubbers |
Fixture time by substrate
At 22°C and 50% relative humidity — time to develop 0.1 N/mm² shear strength. Note that steel is the slowest here: for metal work, 401 fixtures in under 5 seconds.
| Substrate | Fixture time (seconds) |
|---|
| Aluminium (etched) | <5 |
| Neoprene | <5 |
| Rubber, nitrile | <5 |
| ABS | <5 |
| PVC | <5 |
| Phenolic | <5 |
| Polycarbonate | 10 to 20 |
| Steel (degreased) | 20 to 45 |
Lap shear strength, cured 24 hours (ISO 4587)
* substrate failure — the material broke before the bond did.
| Substrate | N/mm² | psi |
|---|
| Steel (grit blasted) | 15.5 | 2,250 |
| Zinc dichromate | 14 | 2,030 |
| Aluminium (etched) | 12 | 1,740 |
| Phenolic * | 11.3 | 1,640 |
| Polycarbonate * | 9.1 | 1,320 |
| ABS * | 8.8 | 1,280 |
| PVC * | 8.7 | 1,260 |
| Nitrile * | 1.2 | — |
| Neoprene * | 1 | 150 |
Block shear and tensile
| Test and substrate | N/mm² | psi |
|---|
| ABS * (block shear, ISO 13445) | 23.7 | 3,440 |
| Phenolic * (block shear) | 13.8 | 2,000 |
| Polycarbonate (block shear) | 13.1 | 1,900 |
| PVC (block shear) | 1.8 | 260 |
| Buna-N, 24 h (tensile, ISO 6922) | 13 | 1,890 |
| Buna-N, 10 seconds (tensile) | ≥6.9 | ≥1,000 |
Chemical resistance — grit-blasted steel
As a percentage of initial strength. Note the poor humidity figures — in a wet or humid joint this is not the right grade.
| Environment | °C | 100 h | 500 h | 1,000 h |
|---|
| Isopropanol | 22 | 120% | 110% | 120% |
| Ethanol | 22 | 105% | 105% | 100% |
| Petrol | 22 | 90% | 100% | 95% |
| Motor oil | 40 | 100% | 85% | 70% |
| Water / glycol | 22 | 85% | 75% | 80% |
| Water | 22 | 55% | 70% | 70% |
| 98% relative humidity | 40 | 50% | 60% | 45% |
How to use it
- Bond areas must be clean and free from grease — clean with a Loctite cleaning solvent and allow to dry.
- On low-energy plastics, a Loctite Primer improves bonding. Do not over-apply; let it dry.
- A Loctite Activator may be used where needed. Apply to one surface only, and not to a primed surface. Let it dry.
- Apply adhesive to one surface — not the activated one. Do not spread it with tissue or a brush.
- Assemble within a few seconds and locate accurately: the short fixture time leaves almost no room to adjust.
- Hold or clamp until fixtured. Activator can be sprayed on excess product outside the joint to cure the fillet.
- Allow full strength to develop before applying service loads — typically 24 to 72 hours.
Handling and storage
- Not recommended for pure oxygen or oxygen-rich systems.
- Not a sealant for chlorine or other strong oxidising materials.
- Store at 2°C to 8°C — cyanoacrylates want refrigeration, unlike the anaerobics which prefer 8–21°C. Outside that range the product properties can be affected.
- Full functional strength comes quickly, but chemical and solvent resistance keeps developing for at least 24 hours.
- Do not return decanted product to the original container.
- Humidity matters: Henkel gives best results at 40–60% RH at 22°C. Lower humidity slows the cure; higher humidity speeds it but can impair final bond strength.
Loctite 406 or 401?
Both are thin one-part cyanoacrylates. 406 is for plastics and rubbers — five times thinner, so it wicks into moulded joints, and it fixtures elastomers in under five seconds. But on degreased steel it takes 20–45 seconds against under 5 for 401, so for metal work 401 is the better grade. For vertical surfaces use the 454 gel; for joints that will be shocked or peeled, 480.
Always read the current technical and safety data before use —
ask us and we'll send it with your quotation.
