Adhesive for Polypropylene 1

[Sam Harbin]

I am looking for a durable weather resistant glue to use on corrugated polypropylene, anyone have some good recommendations? (More info below)

I would need a glue that can withstand lap-shear and t-peel forces. I would also prefer an easy application and quick set time as these are assembled by hand.

I have tested a few hot glues(recommendation does not need to be a hot-melt) and some work very well at room temperature but fail in cold and hot temperatures, many of my products are used in the shipping industry where they will be subject to temperature extremes.

 

[ornerynorsk]

3M makes many adhesives for high energy plastics, that would be my first place to search.

It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.

 

[epoxybot]

This 'low energy bonding' white paper from 3M might be worth a read. Link

 

[ornerynorsk]

Thank you epoxybot, I stand corrected. Low energy is the term to search. It's tough getting old!

It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.

 

[epoxybot]

ornerynorsk (Industrial)

Your welcome, I sometimes get intrigued by come new product while confusing surface energy with surface tension and upon making the realization of my error, discover I have been reading a snake oil pitch dressed up as a magazine article.

 

[3DDave]

I recall plasma treatments can be used to damage just the surface of certain materials to allow adhesive bonding.

Found this link:

http://www.pvateplaamerica.com/materials/polymers-Polypropylene.php

Not an endorsement; it just has an explanation.

 

[Compositepro]

Surface energy and surface tension are essentially the same thing. Surface energy is used for solids and surface tension is for liquids. A liquid with a surface tension of 40 dynes/centimeter has a surface energy of 40 ergs/square centimeter.