CHICAGO (July 6, 10:30 a.m. EDT) — 3M Corp. is touting its adhesive technology for plastics that normally are difficult to bond to each other.
The St. Paul, Minn., firm´s Scotch-Weld DP-8005 structural plastic adhesive bonds polypropylene and other polyolefins without the prior use of surface treatments such as priming, flame treatment or corona treatment. The two-part, solvent-free acrylic system allows structural bonding in excess of 1,000 psi in overlap shear. 3M claims the adhesive cures at room temperature, saving costs, time and heating expenses. It also resists chemicals, water, humidity and corrosion.
The firm also offers Spray-Bond 6111 HT, a sprayable hot-melt adhesive that can bond difficult plastics without pretreatment. Applications include bonding fabric to polyolefin foams.
3M said some plastics are difficult to bond because they have low surface energy — that is, they do not provide a good surface for a liquid to wet out and intimately cover the surface. Plastics with high surface energy like ABS and polycarbonate are easier to bond because they are easier to wet with conventional adhesives and tapes.