Adhesive products for gluing plastics: structural adhesives
Lower costs compared to wood and metal. Low weight, great versatility, low energy consumption, good recyclability. Excellent corrosion resistance, easy processing, no limits in terms of aesthetic customization. The advantages of plastics in industry uses are enormous, which is why plastics are now so widespread worldwide. The disadvantages are also well-known: plastic takes a very long time to biodegrade and is originally made using fossil fuels. So, it becomes essential to recycle plastic and reuse it to its fullest extent, avoiding its use when it makes more sense to utilise other materials: for instance, disposable objects and packaging, where the advantages are tiny in the face of environmental disadvantages. Making the best use of plastics (high-density polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride and low-density polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene, to name but a few) also means making use of the best adhesive products to glue plastic. And of course, until recently, adhesives were little used in this sense at an industrial level; operators preferred screws, welds, and so on. This also happened in the world of plastics, because of their low surface energy, as this means that these materials are less suitable for adhesive fastening than, for example, metals. But the great progress made in recent years by manufacturers, 3M above all, have made it possible to create some formidable adhesives for metal and plastics surfaces, too: in this article, we will focus on structural adhesives, and then on the most powerful adhesive products to glue plastic.
The advantages of using adhesive products to glue plastic
Why use adhesive products to glue plastic? For many reasons. To avoid design constraints, to make sure not to spoil the aesthetic result of a product with visible fastening tools or techniques. But that’s not all: it should be pointed out that the best adhesive products to glue plastics are very light, enhancing this key feature of plastic products. It should also be noted that, this way, it is possible to avoid puncture holes, as well as industrial processes involving vibration and noise. Finally, it should be stressed that by using the most suitable adhesive products from each time it is possible to practically always obtain the desired adhesive strength.
When to use structural liquid adhesives for fastening plastic surfaces
There are different types of adhesives to glue the plastic. There are thin double-sided adhesive tapes, double-sided adhesive foam tapes, fastening systems, hot melt adhesives and, finally, them: structural adhesives. This term indicates all adhesives presenting a resistance higher than 6 megapascals, whereas, for instance, a sealant stops around 3 megapascals. So, when should you use structural adhesives to glue plastic surfaces, or a plastic surface with that of another material? Simple: when the available surface is small, a very powerful double-sided tape is required. Structural liquid adhesives are also ideal for long processing and handling times.
This is why structural adhesives for fastening plastic surfaces can be used in the most diverse industrial sectors, from the production of doors and windows to the production of household appliances or vehicles.
Three examples of 3M structural adhesives meant for use on plastics
· DP86110NS 3M Scotch-Weld: this is a strong flexible acrylic structural double-sided adhesive tape, which offers an excellent level of adhesion on MSE plastics, without requiring long surface processing times. What characterizes this adhesive is its elongation capacity, which is comparable to that of a sealant: it means that it can be stretched to more than double without being exposed to the breakage risks.
· DP8010NS 3M Scotch-Weld: another type of structural adhesive, with a processing time of 10 minutes and handling time of 60 minutes. It is a relatively flexible industrial double-sided tape, very powerful on polypropylene and polyethylene. It stands out in terms of resistance to moisture, corrosion, and chemical agents.
· DP8005 3M Scotch-Weld: a structural adhesive used to glue ABS, PC, PI, rigid PVC, PE, PP, TPE and TPO, and thus generally great for fastening plastic surfaces with low surface energy.
It should be noted that, in any case, the structural adhesives offered by 3M must be deployed with the appropriate Scotch Weld manual applicator, created to effectively operate the cartridges of these liquid adhesives. Special plungers and nozzles are also available for sale.