by Scott Sabreen, president, The Sabreen Group Thermoplastics are inherently hydrophobic, low surface energy substrates that do not adhere well to other like or dissimilar materials. Semicrystalline polymers are generally more difficult to bond (compared to amorphous) due to their ordered structure morphology, e.g., polyolefins, polyamides (nylons), acetals, polyesters, … [Read more...] about Flame Plasma Surface Modification of Polymers for Adhesion Bonding: Process Control, Equipment and Applications
Adhesion
Effects of Surface Treatment on Adhesion for Plastic Components
by Arthur Kasson, technical consultant, and Frederick Fiddler, technical manager, KRUSS USA Today’s plastic materials are tough, durable and lightweight, making them highly desirable in a wide range of manufacturing processes – aerospace, medical devices, automotive, electronics, semiconductors and more. Quality control and R&D professionals throughout these industries … [Read more...] about Effects of Surface Treatment on Adhesion for Plastic Components
Bonding Bioplastics Using Adhesives (Trēva™)
Zachary Sayah, application engineer, Henkel Corporation, and Wenlai Feng, Ph.D., chemist, Eastman With the growth in the use of bioplastics, questions continue to arise on how they can be used and how they will react to processes such as adhesives, welding, decorating, etc. This article will summarize a recent study that was performed on Eastman Treva™ - a high-performance … [Read more...] about Bonding Bioplastics Using Adhesives (Trēva™)
Inkjet Printing and Adhesion of Low Surface Energy Polymers
Long before the first ink drop is jetted onto a plastic product, designers make key decisions that predetermine whether ink printing will be easy or difficult. Adhesion is essentially a superficial phenomenon, depending as it does upon interactions between the liquid ink and the surface of the substrate. Principal factors affecting adhesion are polymer selection (including … [Read more...] about Inkjet Printing and Adhesion of Low Surface Energy Polymers
Advances in Atmospheric Plasma Treatment for Polymer Adhesion
by Scott Sabreen, president The Sabreen Group, Inc. Atmospheric pressure plasmas are commonly used to improve polymer adhesion. The increased surface energy and improved wetting characteristics lead to significant adhesion improvements with adhesives, coatings and inks that cannot be attained without surface treatment. A recent advancement introduced by 3DT LLC enables … [Read more...] about Advances in Atmospheric Plasma Treatment for Polymer Adhesion