Before figuring out how to glue plastic, it should be noted that all plastics, regardless of their polarity, surface treatment method and chemical composition, can be successfully glued.
For example, a child’s toy broke, a part near a car is damaged. To list all the areas in which plastic bonding is used, you need to talk about all products made from this material.
Plastic is a complex organic compound made from polymers. To glue parts, you need to use only high-quality mixtures. The market today offers a wide range of products of different brands in order to choose suitable adhesives for plastic, it is better to consult with knowledgeable people, and also carefully study the information in the instructions for the tool.
The list of the most popular adhesives for plastics includes the following products:
· The moment;
Strong Plast
Power Plast
UHU
WEICON constraction
· AKFIX glue, and others.
How to glue plastic: tips for improving the quality of the connection
Compounds made with cold cured adhesives may not be strong enough. This is especially negative for material that is operated at elevated temperatures or at high humidity. To improve the quality of bonding and, thus, expand the range of adhesive means for plastic, the heating method will help. In such cases, the strongest bonding can be achieved with epoxy and polyurethane adhesives, and phenol-polyvinyl acetal compositions, for example, BF, 0T, BC, BC-350, are well suited for this.
Thermosetting adhesives can be used to bond plastics that are based on thermosetting polymers such as polyurethanes, polyesters, epoxides and other materials. For these plastics, in addition to the mixtures listed, furan and cyanoacrylate compositions, as well as glue, which includes synthetic rubber, are suitable.
To understand the issue of how to glue plastic well, you also need to know that the bonding quality of some thermoplastic materials improves with the use of ultrasound. Today, a method has been developed that allows modification of polymer surfaces before gluing by irradiation with UV rays or halogens.
How to glue plastic: instructions for use
First, make sure that the surfaces to be treated are dry and clean. The edges of the parts must be as precisely as possible fitted to each other. Next, glue is applied, while it is necessary to make sure that the softening of the slices from it occurs on the entire surface and to the maximum depth. In work it is better to use a brush or syringe, you can use the spray method, or apply the product by immersing parts.
Further, in order to ensure a good connection, both connected parts are kept under pressure, the exposure should be sufficient and carried out until a solid layer of glue is formed. Only after achieving maximum strength, you can perform machining or finishing parts.
How to glue plastic, how to do it so that the parts do not creep out during operation? To ensure a strong connection, the method of reinforcing plastic is often used with the help of special materials that are glued or fused with solvents or glue. Known methods for joining thermoplastics using plasma treatment, or by applying to a heated surface a layer of metal worn to a powdery mass (in such cases, cast iron or steel filings are used).
If you can’t figure out for yourself what kind of plastic is in front of you, it is better to use universal glue. It is suitable for joining any polymer material, however, its quality is often lower than that of special adhesives.