LED SEAL - a de-domer's best friend?

Chicago X

Enlightened
Joined
May 6, 2010
Messages
439
I just picked up a can of LED SEAL, made by Luxdrive. It is a silicone spray allegedly safe for direct application to LEDs.



I planned on using it for electrical isolation purposes in a homebrew P60 module, but after reading the data, it appears that it would be ideal to protect the de-domed megabuck SST emitters en vogue right now with the throw junkies.



DRIES CLEAR !!! DOESNT AFFECT LED COLOR !!! alleges the packaging.



If this advertising is accurate, I see a ton of options for this stuff. Heck, I may XM-L all of the landscape lighting around here, if the waterproofing is up to snuff.



Has anyone used this stuff on a LED, de-domed or not?
 

Tatjanamagic

Enlightened
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
484
Location
Darkonia
This is very interesting thread! Maybe LED SEAL or something else really works for de-domed emitters?


Any idea how to protect de-domed emitters?


Would this protect bare phosphor layer and tiny unprotected wires on de-domed emitter?


Any advice would be much appreciated!
 

Tatjanamagic

Enlightened
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
484
Location
Darkonia
Yes I am doing that in nightmaster aspheric but I don't feel comfortable changing different pills because de-domed pill with tiny wires is very sensitive to any kind of touch...

So I would really like to find any way to protect it after de-doming process without lux/lumen drop.

I ruined couple of nicely de-domed emitters by clumsy movements... So changing pill in aspheric is pretty risky...

Once I tried to clean remaining silicone around the wire with toothpick and I broke it, and once after very successful gasoline de-doming I used tweezers for iso alcohol bath... Tweezers have slipped me somehow and cut through phosphor layer of led emitter... I almost loose my mind and I was crazy like hell... It was XM-L2 on copper star... Still works but with ugly middle cut beam.
 
Last edited:

Tatjanamagic

Enlightened
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
484
Location
Darkonia
De-domed emitter is really sensitive to everything... It needs some kind of protection:

I have been researching and I found only one solution that could really protect phosphor layer - Liquid glass spray...



Incredible properties of this spray would probably protect phosphor layer on led board(maybe it could even improve phosphor brightness?)

But however small wires around emitter will still be unprotected...


Guys did you try any protection on de-domed emitter?

I think with some fine ideas we can improve de-domed emitters...
 

fyrstormer

Banned
Joined
Jul 24, 2009
Messages
6,617
Location
Maryland, Near DC, USA
I de-domed a couple LEDs in the past. I used Norland 61 UV-cured epoxy to seal the emitter, and to fill in the uneven areas where there was some soft silicone left over. Because the epoxy stays liquid until you hit it with UV, you can slowly drip it in until it's perfectly level with the plastic frame surrounding the emitter -- or until it makes a very slight bubble over the top of emitters that don't have frames.

I'm not sure what problems other people had with the stuff.
 
Last edited:

Tatjanamagic

Enlightened
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
484
Location
Darkonia
Thanks for the tip,

So no lux/lumen drop after doing that?

I have idea of gluing small silicone o ring around de-domed emitter with thickness enough to go slightly over wires on emitter and then I will have to use some kind of epoxy over emitter to protect it.

So for now we have Norland 61 UV-cured epoxy confirmed to work by fyrstormer
 
Last edited:

bshanahan14rulz

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 29, 2009
Messages
2,819
Location
Tennessee
I used NOA61 on a dedomed XR white LED, with phosphor intact. I still have it, too. The adhesive is now yellow to light brown in color. It has not seen excessive use, i.e. probably 1 hour of use. I dedomed it years ago, though.

Perhaps I ought to tear it down to see if the NOA is yellow, or if there is just a layer of gel that somehow got vob'd
 

Tatjanamagic

Enlightened
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
484
Location
Darkonia
I think de dome protection is necessary in modular lights...

Well since I can not order this "Liquid Glass Shield", and I don't have liquid glass - can you guys recommend me some good adhesive for de dome protection with international shipping?

I know when some of us find some secret regarding led flashlights it is very hard to give it away... Maybe someone has already researched this and spend over 100$ so I can understand that...
 

paskal

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Sep 23, 2006
Messages
57
Location
Malaisie
So what to use for de dome protection?

de-domed: silicone protector on LED has been removed to gain throw. need to apply with that kind of protector to protect from debris or anything can damage LED
 

Tatjanamagic

Enlightened
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
484
Location
Darkonia
de-domed: silicone protector on LED has been removed to gain throw. need to apply with that kind of protector to protect from debris or anything can damage LED

I have XP-G2 de-domed P60 pill on torture test. I've been changing that through all different kinds of P60 flashlights. Weapon mounted, and borrowed to friends.

Sometime pill just stand in backpack at the basement. It has fallen down several times, and after all that(more than 2 months) it still works same as first day.


I want to say that with regular use nothing bad will happen so I will not even try to find de-domed led protection substance.


It would be nice if someone invent phosphor layer enhancer substance which would raise overall brightness of de-domed led.

But probably that is not possible.
 
Last edited:

jorn

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 8, 2008
Messages
2,499
Location
Norway
Have tortured my modded sipik 68. The led is a dedomed xp-e. The driver is potted and battery compartment fully sealed. Pumped the zoomhead full of water when the light was on for 30 min. And zoomed like mad with it when held under water. So it had water flowing on the exposed wires, phosphor etc.. nothing happened. No poof. No tint change. Works like a charm when exposed to water. Dident seem to harm the exposed led. I dont see the problem.
 

matt304

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Sep 28, 2006
Messages
183
Sorry to pull back the dead thread from 2013--no really, I am, but this came up searching for "LED Seal" and it is still very useful a topic. It is critical in some cases to seal de-domes! But, years later, with what(?) you may still ask now.

My recommendation, even with proven seal substances out there on flashlight sites, is NOT to seal with a LED coating. The coating, whatever you choose, is somewhat going to do what it wants to do once you start coating your LED and it begins to flow into low places. A technique I use, is a lens to seal the LED. That lens is sealed with thermal epoxy. Other experienced builders do this, not just me. I will let you figure out what type of lens you prefer to use. A lot of research is put forward into finding a correct sealing lens for any specific de-domed LED light build.

Hint! Some lenses are very small, yet may give you a 30%+ intensity (lux) improvement over a simple seal coating, in your specific lens arrangement, due to some obvious physical factors you are changing by doing so. Be warned that precise testing is usually involved to find that sweet spot of a simple sealing lens. I remember seeing a small light of a friends called the Deft EDC(? I believe, and a 18650 light) that had a very similar setup to what I speak of placed over a Cree XR-C that was de-domed, and it had very good throw back then mostly due to that tiny sealing lens.
 
Last edited:

Tatjanamagic

Enlightened
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
484
Location
Darkonia
Sorry to pull back the dead thread from 2013--no really, I am, but this came up searching for "LED Seal" and it is still very useful a topic. It is critical in some cases to seal de-domes! But, years later, with what(?) you may still ask now.

My recommendation, even with proven seal substances out there on flashlight sites, is NOT to seal with a LED coating. The coating, whatever you choose, is somewhat going to do what it wants to do once you start coating your LED and it begins to flow into low places. A technique I use, is a lens to seal the LED. That lens is sealed with thermal epoxy. Other experienced builders do this, not just me. I will let you figure out what type of lens you prefer to use. A lot of research is put forward into finding a correct sealing lens for any specific de-domed LED light build.

Hint! Some lenses are very small, yet may give you a 30%+ intensity (lux) improvement over a simple seal coating, in your specific lens arrangement, due to some obvious physical factors you are changing by doing so. Be warned that precise testing is usually involved to find that sweet spot of a simple sealing lens. I remember seeing a small light of a friends called the Deft EDC(? I believe, and a 18650 light) that had a very similar setup to what I speak of placed over a Cree XR-C that was de-domed, and it had very good throw back then mostly due to that tiny sealing lens.

Thanks for this... I am very interested in small leses that can give us 30% + intensity lux. Does this improvement refers to pure de-dome version? I mean will it improve throw of de domed emitter?

Even if throw remains same that is good idea... Could you please give more hints on lenses you use :) ? Link or picture please?
 

nikosb

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Dec 11, 2014
Messages
52
I am interested too in small lenses that can give increase in throw for a dedomed LED. If you are talking about a pre-collimator though I read that it doesn't increase throw but it increases apparent die size without sacrificing throw.
 
Top