Adhesives for Bonding Plastics

The proper choice of adhesive is made difficult by the large number of plastics available. Assemblers must understand that plastics, compared to traditional materials, such as metals, have lower tensile strength, are usually more flexible, have higher coefficients of expansion, and often are harder to bond to.

The proper choice of adhesive can only be made after understanding the various factors affecting an adhesive bond. The factors include the type of plastic, surface preparation, adhesive type, joint design, and environmental conditions.