PLASTICS C
DOES SURFACE MATTER WHEN CHOOSING ADHESIVES?
adillac Plastic is a Swindon based convertor and distributor of plastic films and filmic adhesives. For over 40 years they have been providing customers with custom converted sheets and rolls of high-performance plastic films and filmic adhesives from major brands such as 3M, Lexan, Mylar, Transcontinental, and DuPont Tyvek. The team behind Cadillac Plastic have years of experience and knowledge in the industry, providing technical support and product knowledge that is second to none. In this article we explore different surfaces and how they affect the choice of adhesives.
DIFFERENT SURFACE ENERGIES AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR ADHESIVES What do we mean by surface energy, and why is it important? The surface energy of a material describes how easy or difficult it is to stick things to it. A Teflon pan for example, has low surface energy and is very resistant to sticking. Water will bead on a low surface energy and spread out on a high surface energy which means adhesives stick more easily to a material with high surface energy.
Adhesives create a bond that joins two materials. For proper joining, it is critical that the adhesive can make strong contact with the surface of each material, but the surface properties make a big difference as well. Materials with low surface energy values resist the flow of adhesive, while materials with high surface energy support the flow of adhesive. Materials with low surface energy include: PVA, Polystyrene, Acetal, Polyethylene, Polypropylene and Teflon®. Materials with high surface energy include: Copper, Aluminum, Stainless Steel, Glass, Polyester, Epoxy Paint, Polycarbonate and Acrylic.
Another factor to consider is roughness, which can increase the total surface area available for
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a bond, allowing for a stronger joint. However, excessive roughness can inhibit the flow of adhesive onto the surface. The adhesive may be matched to the surface roughness by choosing a more appropriate grade, usually with a thicker layer of adhesive to enable the surfaces to properly adhere.
WHAT ADHESIVE SHOULD I CHOOSE? 3M™ is an instantly recognised brand with an extensive range of innovative products including adhesives for almost every application.
Many substrates have a high surface energy such as metal, Polycarbonate films, Rigid PVC films and Polyester films. For these materials, 3M™ High Performance Acrylic Adhesive 200MP is a popular choice for graphic attachment and general industrial joining applications. This adhesive provides some initial repositionability for placement accuracy when bonding to plastics. It also performs well after exposure to humidity and hot/cold cycles. Products using this adhesive base include: 467MP, 7952MP and 7962MP for smooth surfaces, and 468MP, 7955MP and 7965MP for textured surfaces. For low surface energy ‘difficult to stick’ surfaces that require a more specialist solution, 300LSE High Strength Acrylic Adhesive could be the solution. Products with this adhesive type include: 9147LE and 8132LE for smooth surfaces as well as 9472LE and 8153LE for textured surfaces.
WHY CHOOSE CADILLAC PLASTIC FOR YOUR ADHESIVES?
Cadillac Plastic provides a bespoke solution for every application from membrane switch panels to display screens and labels, with sheeting, slitting, guillotining, laminating and die cutting at no extra cost.
Advantages of purchasing custom sizes and quantities
Cadillac Plastic converts materials from master rolls, minimising material waste and environmental impact.
Buying no more than is required is the most cost- effective solution. Even ‘wasting’ 10-15 per cent of a sheet is straight off the bottom line!
When material is just the right size, the printing process can begin immediately, improving lead times.
Materials can be supplied for specific jobs in the required quantities – this makes planning, internal tracking and allocation much easier.
For multi-layer assemblies such as membrane switches, the overlay, heat stabilized Polyester for circuitry, spacer layers and adhesive tapes can all be purchased together in the correct size and quantity for that job.
Purchasing ‘freshly’ converted material is better than using old, ‘out of date’ stock. This is especially important for adhesives.
Not only does the team at Cadillac Plastic have their own product knowledge and expertise developed over many years of experience, the team at 3M are also on hand to provide help in offering solutions for ‘difficult to stick’ applications, for your evaluation. So, no matter what your project or application is, Cadillac is on hand with the appropriate product.
Cadillac Plastic
www.cadillacplastic.co.uk
Spring 2025 UKManufacturing
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