Overcoming the Challenges of Bonding Difficult Materials
In a previous webinar by Chemical Concepts, industry experts shed light on the challenges faced when bonding difficult substrates and the engineered adhesive solutions that can be employed to overcome these challenges.
Challenging Materials: The challenges lie in bonding materials with low surface energy, such as PTFE, polyethylene, and polypropylene, which are notoriously difficult to adhere to.
Surface Energy and Wetting: Surface energy, which is the degree of attraction or repulsion that a material’s surface exerts on other materials, plays a crucial role in bonding. High surface energy materials are easier to bond, while low surface energy materials are more challenging. Wetting is the ability of an adhesive to spread out over a surface, and good wetting is essential for effective bonding.
Surface Treatments: To improve bond strength, various surface treatments can be employed. These include:
- Flame treatment
- Corona treatment
- Plasma treatment
- Chemical etching
- Use of primers
POP Primer: One of the innovative solutions is the use of a primer called POP. When used in conjunction with cyanoacrylates (super glues), POP ensures good adhesion and significantly increases bond strength on difficult substrates like polyolefins and fluoropolymers.
Surface Preparation: Before bonding, it is essential to prepare the surfaces properly. This includes cleaning the surfaces to ensure they are free of contaminants and lightly abrading the surfaces. Solvents like acetone or isopropanol can be used for cleaning.
Perma-bond’s Expertise: The video highlights that Perma-bond has been a world leader in industrial adhesives for over 60 years, offering a wide range of adhesives including cyanoacrylates, anaerobic adhesives, epoxies, UV curable adhesives, and structural acrylics.
Conclusion:
Bonding materials with low surface energy can be challenging, but with the right knowledge and tools, it is possible to achieve strong bonds. Chemical Concepts’ video presentation offers valuable insights and solutions for professionals and individuals looking to improve adhesive bonding in challenging applications.
