What is KWIK-SIL?

KWIK-SIL is a translucent, medium-viscosity, two-part silicone adhesive developed by World Precision Instruments (WPI) for chronic peripheral nerve and neuroscience research. Packaged in a convenient double-barrel syringe with pre-mixing tips, it requires no preparation — simply apply directly to tissue and it self-cures at room temperature within minutes.

Unlike RTV silicones that take hours or days to cure, KWIK-SIL reaches working strength in approximately 15 minutes without generating heat, making it safe for use on live tissue and implanted devices. Its low toxicity formulation, strong mechanical properties, and reliable curing speed have made it a gold-standard adhesive in thousands of neuroscience labs worldwide.

Key Features

• Low Toxicity Formulation: Based on a vinyl-terminated siloxane chemistry with no surfactant additives — far less toxic than dental silicones. The only curing by-product is a small amount of hydrogen gas, making it safe for in vivo and chronic applications.
• Rapid, Heat-Free Cure: Cures in approximately 15 minutes at room temperature with a working time under 5 minutes. No heat is generated during curing, protecting delicate live tissue and sensitive implanted electronics.
• Superior Mechanical Properties: Tear strength of 90 PPI and 650% elongation ensure the adhesive bond holds through days of chronic study without breaking, even with natural tissue movement.
• Tissue-Resistant Chemistry: Unlike many vinyl-based silicones, KWIK-SIL is not inhibited by contamination from animal tissue, blood, or biological fluids — it cures reliably in the challenging conditions of live animal surgery.
• Medium Viscosity: At 15,000 CPS, KWIK-SIL has sufficient body to stay where applied and seal around electrodes, cannulae, and probes without flowing into unwanted areas. This makes it ideal for sealing craniotomy windows and securing chronic implants.
• Ready-to-Use Syringe Format: Pre-filled double-barrel syringe with 10 included mixing tips ensures automatic 1:1 mixing upon application — no manual preparation, no wasted material, no mixing errors.
• Available Sterile: A sterile single-syringe version (KWIK-SIL-S) is available for applications requiring aseptic conditions, such as survival surgeries with implanted devices.
• Hundreds Times Faster Than Standard RTV: Where conventional room-temperature-vulcanizing silicones cure in hours, KWIK-SIL reaches functional strength in minutes, dramatically reducing anaesthesia time and surgical risk.