Plastic Adhesives

How to choose the right glue for a given material? Due to the fact that, unfortunately, there is no glue for everything and a simple rule - what product to use, we have divided the materials below to help you choose the right glue. It is not a book division, but developed in practical applications and our experience. Classification of plastics: We will not discuss all the divisions here, we will only sort individual markings so that you can easily decide for yourself which glue you need. Polyolefins - PP, PE, PEHD, PELD, POM, PTFE - the most difficult plastics for bonding. We have only 2-3 types of adhesives in the world, the strongest for these substrates is Acralock PP 1-02 and it will glue any type; in the case of PP, we can choose ATK 812+ ATK 822 as a polymer and elastic adhesive that immediately seals e.g. against water, and ATK PU 16 two-component polyurethane for automotive components, including PUR and PP / EPDM+ t20 bumpers and derivatives. The last version is ATK FIX 06 or 01 fast glue with a special primer - more about these adhesives in the selected category. Styrene plastics such as PS, HIPS, ABS - easy to connect, especially if the glue is slightly aggressive due to the temperature "slightly damaging the structure". These are Acralock adhesives with particular emphasis on: CC 10-12, with perfect transparency after mixing or snow white version SA 10-15WHT. They connect very well with ATK FIX 06 or 01 quick glue and a filling additive to strengthen the surface. Polyamides are a group of plastics that are not so easy to weld anymore and there are few products on the market that are able to stick two surfaces well together. Here we have so far: the strongest glue, ie Acralock SA 1-15 or "less strong", but you can pour and seal ATK EP 351. Advertising plastics - here we mean PMMA, i.e. plexiglass, PC - polycarbonate, hard and foamed PVC - the choice is simple cc 10-12. These adhesives are described in detail in the advertising adhesives category. Technical plastics such as PET, PBT, PPA, PPS, PEI - it is very good to use Acralock SA 1-15 and pp 1-02 two-component adhesives; the exception are the transparent versions, then with cc 10-12 glue or with uv glue. Hard and foamed PVC - i.e. sewage pipes, refrigerator coverings and motorhome walls. It's very simple here; for the first application we use the ATK PVC solvent glue, for the second one - white SA 10-15WHT, which, after pressing the excess, drag it like a joint and we immediately have a tight surface and filled with any irregularities. Soft PVC - it couldn't be easier. These are pool connections. For small surfaces: ATK FIX 01, larger ones: ATK 812. Is the best glue = the strongest? Not always; adequate strength is needed, but there are situations where even a weaker glue of 40 kg / cm2 is completely sufficient, e.g. when gluing soft pvc, flexibility and tightness provided by the ATK 812 glue are more important. With transparent plastics, it may be more important to maintain aesthetics and then we fix this CC 10-12 instead of the more powerful SA 1-15. Preparation of the surface of the plastic before gluing. It should be roughened to remove oxides and a smooth surface that makes it difficult to stick. The exceptions are decorative, aesthetic and advertising elements, then see the categories of adhesives for advertising, where we describe special products for such applications. Degreasing is the first step before sanding and the second after sanding. It is mainly about removing dirt, grease, old adhesives and other impurities, secondly, we remove dust created during grinding. Automotive repairs are a special preparation of the surface, which we have to additionally drill, but more on that in a special category - automotive adhesives. What glue for hard plastic? Unfortunately, we are not able to know what kind of material it is from the hardness of the plastic. It is best to find the marking embossed on the inside and follow the directions above. Tip at the end - at home, i.e. home appliances, if the element is not painted and it is nice-smooth then it will most likely be ABS or PC; If it is part of, for example, a drill, high durability is needed, then we lean towards PA.