Best glue for plastics?

D

DB731

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Feb 10, 2013
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I am looking for a glue that is ideally water resistant and can bond polypropylene and polyethylene and perhaps polycarbonate. It is a bonus if I can find it at Walmart, Lowe's, Menards, Home Depot, or Fleet Farm.

What do you recommend?

Thanks
 
I think the valve on my washer was polyethylene. I found nothing that would stick to it.
 
JB Weld plastic weld or Plastic Bonder will probably yield the best results.
Loctite Plastic Bonding System should work well also.
 
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Agree that JB Plastic weld is the best for the types of plastic you listed.
Make sure you use a cleaner/primer to prep with.
 
prep will be key. Rough it, clean it, and gob the glue on thick. With most plastics unless you are using a solvent with the same type of plastic, its pretty tough. for a full mechanical bond you need as much surface area as you can. Other options worth trying are the tougher cyanoacrylate (super glues) and heavy duty epoxies. Can you do tests?
 
Sorry to tell you this, but if it is either of those two plastics, you're pretty much SOL. The type of polymer chains in those two are extremely slippery, and not much of anything will stick very well to them.

The best thing I've found is Poly-Weld from TAP plastics. Despite what they claim, I have not had the greatest results with it on polyethylene, even when flame-treating the surfaces to prep them. It works for a little while, but then gives way.

I don't know what you're trying to fix, but it sounds like a tank or something since you want it to be waterproof, but you might just have to buy a new part/item. I sought the same thing not too long ago, and was unable to locate a suitable adhesive. YMMV.

PS - Don't bother with the Loc-Tite two-part poly stuff. It flat doesn't work... Complete ripoff IMO. :thumbdn:
 
Depends on the plastic. I asked a plastics man about how to glue polyethylene -he said if you invent some you'll be a billionaire overnight !
 
I tried a two part epoxy putty on that washer valve with 5 ton epoxy glue on top of that. Covered the valve with it a long way from the crack. It held about 6 weeks before the water forced its way under all that epoxy. I guess it was good for a quick fix until I could get the replacement part.
 
You may want to consider posing the question to the Loctite company website. Those guys have been at this forever and if anything exists, they are the best bet to have it.
 
White water kayaks are made of polyethylene. And this question comes up on white water forums fairly often. The general consensus seems to be—nothing sticks to polyethylene.
 
SpyderPhreak said:
Sorry to tell you this, but if it is either of those two plastics, you're pretty much SOL. The type of polymer chains in those two are extremely slippery, and not much of anything will stick very well to them.

The best thing I've found is Poly-Weld from TAP plastics. Despite what they claim, I have not had the greatest results with it on polyethylene, even when flame-treating the surfaces to prep them. It works for a little while, but then gives way.

I don't know what you're trying to fix, but it sounds like a tank or something since you want it to be waterproof, but you might just have to buy a new part/item. I sought the same thing not too long ago, and was unable to locate a suitable adhesive. YMMV.

PS - Don't bother with the Loc-Tite two-part poly stuff. It flat doesn't work... Complete ripoff IMO. :thumbdn:
Click to expand...

Yep, I'm Web administrator for TAP plastics, the poly - weld is ok, but that's about as best as you can get with PE plastic. Polycarbonate can be glued pretty well with an acrylic solvent cement like sci-grip weld on 3.

Depending on what the item is just plain old heat welding might work. No direct flame, but if you can localize the heat and get up to about 400°F you might have some luck. Practice on some old milk jugs first.


-Xander
 
fast14riot said:
Yep, I'm Web administrator for TAP plastics, the poly - weld is ok, but that's about as best as you can get with PE plastic. Polycarbonate can be glued pretty well with an acrylic solvent cement like sci-grip weld on 3.

Depending on what the item is just plain old heat welding might work. No direct flame, but if you can localize the heat and get up to about 400°F you might have some luck. Practice on some old milk jugs first.


-Xander
Click to expand...

No direct flame seems to be the key here. :D:D

If I have two thin pieces of plastic one on top of the other, would it work to apply a thin copper square on top of that and heat that with the flame? Or, is a heat gun indicated, focusing the hot air over the two plastic pieces?
 
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