Fiber Optic Epoxies & Supplies

Overview
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Fiber optic epoxy is a necessary component when terminating pigtailed fiber connectors. Thorlabs offers epoxies for a wide range of curing conditions as well as an application syringe. Refer to the individual descriptions below for details about our selection. Additional options include general-purpose epoxies and UV-curing adhesives.

Item #	F112	F120	F123	353NDPK^a
Color, Cured	Dark Blue	Clear/Colorless (Part A) Clear/Yellow Tint (Part B)	Clear Reddish-Brown^b	Dark Red
Specific Gravity, Cured	1.200	1.16 (Part A) 1.05 (Part B)	1.200	1.20 (Part A) 1.02 (Part B)
Index of Refraction	1.51	1.5459 @ 589 nm	1.56	1.5694 @ 589 nm
Viscosity, cPs, Mixed	1,800	N/A	4,000	3,000 - 5,000
Thixotropic Index	1.0	N/A	1.0	N/A
Operating Temperature Range	-60 to 120 °C	Cont: -55 to 175 °C Inter: -55 to 275 °C	-60 to 175 °C	Cont: -55 to 250 °C Inter: -55 to 350 °C
Hardness, Shore D	86	80	87	85
Mix Ratio, pbw, Resin/Hardener	100/30	2/1	100/10	10:1
Glass Transition (Tg), Ultimate	102.00 °C	56 °C	120.00 °C	≥90 °C
Water Absorption	0.070%	N/A	0.004%	N/A
Coefficient of Expansion	6.20e01 cm/cm/°C	N/A	>Tg: 2.03e02 ppm/°C <Tg: 6.31e01 ppm/°C	>Tg: 54e-06 in/in/°C <Tg: 206e-06 in/in/°C
Dielectric Strength	N/A	N/A	400 V/mil	N/A
Dielectric Constant	N/A	N/A	N/A	3.17 (1 KHz @ 23 °C)
Pot Life	2 g, 30 min	<5 min	4 hr	≤3 hr
Working Life	2 g, 1 hr	N/A	N/A	N/A
Cure Schedule	24 hr @ 25 °C or 1 hr @ 65 °C or 15 min @ 90 °C	30 min @ 23 °C (Minimum)	5 min @ 100 °C	30 min @ 80 °C 10 min @ 100 °C 5 min @ 120 °C 1 min @ 150 °C

Data is not guaranteed, only for reference. Different batches, conditions, and applications yield differing results.
Unmixed color: clear light yellow. Mixed color: clear green/blue.

Posted Comments:

David Oswald (posted 2020-09-30 16:25:17.27)

It would be very helpful to include in your product description, the dimensions of the needle to determine fit with my application.

llamb (posted 2020-10-01 04:18:04.0)

Thank you for your feedback. We will look to update the web presentation to include more dimensions for this syringe. In the meantime, the needle has an inner diameter of Ø0.58mm, an outer diameter of Ø0.9mm, and a length of about 36.5 mm.

user (posted 2019-07-30 10:31:42.027)

Dear Support! I need an easily solvable adhesive to polish a proper fiber pigtail. The adhesive must fix fiberglass and ceramic ferrule to each-other during polishing and at the end it must to be dissolved easily to ensure the removal of fiber from the ceramic ferrule. Could you offer me a compliant product? Thanks in advance!

YLohia (posted 2019-07-31 10:49:53.0)

Hello, we do not have any recommendations for such an epoxy. For temporarily connectorizing a fiber for the purposes of polishing, we recommend using the BFT1.

Armin Schöffmann (posted 2019-04-01 13:30:51.523)

"F112 and F120 Not Intended for Use with TECS Clad Fiber": - Which room-temp. Epoxy-bond would you recommend for TECS-fibres? - What problems may arise if F112 is applied, though? Thanks & best regards.

YLohia (posted 2019-04-16 08:58:24.0)

Hello, thank you for contacting Thorlabs. The primary reason why we do not recommend F112 or F120 epoxies is because it is corrosive to the TECS coating and has been known to cause delamination in some cases. The best epoxy choice for all Thorlabs TECS fiber are the thermal cure options; F123 and 353NDPK.

sudesh (posted 2016-05-07 03:59:23.857)

pleast mee contac

besembeson (posted 2016-05-10 03:13:08.0)

Response from Bweh at Thorlabs USA: I have contacted you regarding any questions you may have.

mlippert (posted 2016-01-14 06:00:16.877)

Hello, I'm using the fast room temp cure resin and often I have the problem, that it starts to heat up already during mixing and starts to solidify within less than a minute. Is there a solution for this problem?

jlow (posted 2016-01-14 02:58:55.0)

Response from Jeremy at Thorlabs: The F120 only has a very short pot life for fast curing. If you need longer pot life, we have the F112 which has a 30 minute pot life.

jjurado (posted 2011-06-28 11:47:00.0)

Response from Javier at Thorlabs to c.j.lee: Thank you very much for contacting us. Although we currently do not have thermal conductivity specs for our epoxies and other adhesives, we can say that, based on the operating temperatures, the resins for these epoxies are relatively highly thermally conductive (see Specs Tab). Also, some of these epoxies, such as the F112, will absorb water and have hygroscopic properties. I will contact you directly to help you narrow down your choices based on your application's requirements.

c.j.lee (posted 2011-06-28 07:41:09.0)

Do you know what the thermal conductivity of the resins are? We were thinking of using it to glue a BBO crystal in place. The crystal must be heated to ~70 degrees and dont want to have problems with the crystal overheating and cracking. Also, I assume that since it is a epoxy resin that it is not hygroscopic? Customer Email: c.j.lee@rijnhuizen.nl

Fiber Connector Epoxy

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Easy-to-Use 2 g BIPAX
Sold in Packages of 10
F112 and F120 Not Intended for Use with TECS Clad Fiber

F112 Long Pot Life, Room Temperature Cure
The F112 epoxy is an ideal epoxy for making room temperature terminations. Each pack contains enough epoxy for 25 to 30 connectors. The long 30-minute pot life allows many connectors to be produced from one mix. See the Specs tab for details.

F120 Fast Room Temperature Cure
The F120 epoxy provides a combination of fast cures and low shrinkage for high performance fiber optic connections. At room temperature, the connectors are ready for polishing within 1 hour; however, fully matured bonds require 4 to 6 hours. With a pot life of only five minutes, a limited number of connections can be made using one pack. See the Specs tab for details.

F123 Color-Keyed, High-Temperature Cure
This epoxy has a unique three-step color change formulation: unmixed components are light yellow, the mixed color is green, and after the required 100 °C high-temperature cure, the color is a deep reddish-amber. Each pack contains enough epoxy for 25 to 30 connectors. The long four-hour pot life allows many connectors to be produced from one mix. See the Specs tab for details.

Dangerous Goods
The F112, F120, and F123 epoxies are classified as dangerous goods in some countries. Depending on the delivery location, these items may need to be shipped separately from the rest of your order (and possibly with a different carrier) at an additional charge. Please contact our sales department if there are questions or concerns when placing an order for these items.

Shelf Life
When stored at 25 °C, the F112 and F123 Epoxy have a shelf life of 180 days while the F120 Epoxy has one of 365 days. This time frame begins on the date the epoxy was packaged at the manufacturer. Upon receipt by the end user, Thorlabs guarantees that the remaining shelf life will be at least 3 months.

Crystallization
The epoxy resins may crystallize. Prior to mixing, the crystallized material should be warmed between 40 and 60 °C until the crystals dissolve into the solution. Afterwards, cool the material back to room temperature and use as normal.

High Temperature & Low CTE Epoxy

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Excellent Wicking for Fiber Optic Applications
High Temperature Epoxy - Can Perform at Constant 250°C
Passes NASA Low Outgassing Standard ASTM E595 with Proper Cure
Color Changes Upon Curing From Amber to Dark Red
4 Hour Pot Life
Pre-Measured, 4 g Packs

EPO-TEK 353ND is known industry wide as a high temperature epoxy. This two part, 100% solid, heat curing epoxy can be used in applications requiring constant performance at temperatures up to 250 °C. It can handle 250 °C to 350 °C for brief periods. The epoxy is vacuum compatible and passes NASA low outgassing standard ASTM E595. Thorlabs offers 353ND epoxy in pre-measured, 4-gram packs that provide repeatable performance and eliminate the need for measuring.

Dangerous Goods
Please note that 353NDPK is classified as a dangerous good in some countries. Depending on the delivery location, this item may need to be shipped separately from the rest of your order (and possibly with a different carrier) at an additional charge. This 2-part epoxy is stocked within the USA and Germany. Please contact our sales department if there are questions or concerns when placing an order.

Shelf Life
353NDPK Epoxy has a shelf life of 365 days when stored at 23 °C. This time frame begins on the date the epoxy was packaged at the manufacturer. Upon receipt by the end user, Thorlabs guarantees that the remaining shelf life will be at least 3 months.

General Purpose 5-Minute Epoxy

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General Purpose, 2-Part Epoxy
Easy-to-Use Dispenser Ensures Proper Mixing Ratio

Please note that epoxy resins are prone to solidification or crystallization. If this occurs, the product can easily be returned to a liquid state by immersing the tube in warm [approximately 100 °F (38 °C)] water for 30 minutes. Ensure all material is melted prior to use. Allow the resin component to return to room temperature prior to mixing with the hardener.

Empty Epoxy Syringes

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Add Epoxy to Connectors Using this Syringe

Click to Enlarge

Empty Syringes For Epoxy Applications
Thorlabs offer 3 cc syringes in bags of 10, which are ideal for epoxy applications. Epoxies, such as our F112, come in a BIPAK with pre-measured amounts of the 2-part epoxy. After mixing the epxoy the contents of these packs can be emptied into a syringe for easy application.

We recommend our fiber optic disposal unit (FTDU, sold separately) to properly dispose of all syringes and epoxy.

View All »Matching Part Numbers

Fiber Optic Epoxies & Supplies

Fiber Connector Epoxy

High Temperature & Low CTE Epoxy

General Purpose 5-Minute Epoxy

Empty Epoxy Syringes