Bonding Metal and Plastic

As Adhetron, we frequently encounter questions about bonding metal and plastic together.

• Can we bond metals and plastics together?
• Can metal glues bond plastics?
• Can plastic glues bond metals?
• What to pay attention to when bonding metals and plastics?

and so on…

While there are metal glues which can be used on plastics and vice versa, we always recommend using structural adhesives for such applications.

 

 

What is a Structural Adhesive

Structural Adhesives are the type of high strength adhesives which create bonds capable of bearing high loads under stress. They are used for bonding two or more materials in way that they can only be separated by destroying one of the parts. Most common structural adhesives are acrylic based adhesives, polyurethane based adhesives, and epoxy-based adhesives.

 

Where to Use a Structural Adhesive

Structural Adhesives are commonly used in areas where the bonded materials are required withstand to extreme conditions like chemical exposure, vibration, humidity etc. without breaking down. These types of adhesives can be used not only with metals and plastics but also with composites, glasses, ceramics, wood etc. They are also used for bonding different materials like metal-plastic, plastic-glass, ceramic-composite etc.

 

Important Points to Consider

When selecting the correct adhesive, there are certain points the user must pay attention to:

Surface

The condition that surfaces are in, is extremely important. If the surface of the metal on which the structural adhesive will be applied is oxidized, painted, or filled with dents, then the adhesive will not cure properly.

Stresses

The physical attributes like tensile strength, shear stress, thermal expansion coefficient etc. of materials differ from one material to another. That’s why when planning on bonding dissimilar materials, it is important to choose adhesives which can withstand the stress which will occur on the bond.

Conditions

The environmental conditions to which the adhesive will be subjected to, is an important factor. Some adhesives can resist high temperatures better than others or have a better resistance against aggressive chemicals than other chemicals.

 

Adhetron Solutions

Adhetron’s Acry’Tron 1E1 is an acrylic based, odorless, high performance structural adhesive suitable to use with various materials including but not limited to:

• Steel
• Stainless Steel
• Copper
• Nickel
• Aluminum
• Chrome
• Zinc
• Glass
• Concrete
• Hard PVC
• Polyester

and many more…

Adhetron’s Acry’Tron 007 is an acrylic based, high performance structural adhesive which is excellent for tolerating the different thermal expansion coefficient of dissimilar substrates like:

• Steel
• ABS
• Nickel
• Copper
• Polyester
• Styrene
• Epoxy FRP
• Chrome
• Phenolic FRP

and many more…

Adhetron’s EP TEF4463 is a two component, epoxy-based structural adhesive which is designed for bonding hard-to bond plastics such as:

• PP
• PE
• PC
• Rulon
• Teflon

and so on…

Adhetron’s EP 5010 is a two component, epoxy-based, electronic grade structural adhesive ideal for bonding, coating, potting and encapsulating electronic components. It is also 100% solvent free.