I want to make a glue to adhere polypropylene to metal (for example Aluminium or stainless steel). This has to be partly air drying.
Adhesive layer should be fairly thin. It can be applied as a spray, tampon, brush.
What kind of glue do you recommend for adhesive?
Thanks
Dear Dr. Gül Uksak ,
I suggest you to have a look at this video that shows how to bond polypropylene to metal using 3M™ High Strength Acrylic Adhesive 300LSE. See how to prepare the polypropylene surface for quick bonding adhesion.
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuehpdiICjI
Best regards, Pierluigi Traverso.
Dear Dr. Gül Uksak ,
if you want a more "conventional" glue you can try to choose the adhesive you need from McMasterCarr; in your case you can see the results directly on the website available at:
https://www.mcmaster.com/adhesives/for-use-on~polypropylene-plastic/for-joining~metal/
Best regards, Pierluigi Traverso
Metal surface is usually covered by a very thin metal oxide layers, which is then covered by the corresponding metal hydroxyl groups, if the surface has been equilibrated for a substantial period of time. This highly hydrophilic nature of the metal surface makes adhesion with highly hydrophobic polypropylene (PP) unfavorable. Adhesives that is good for polypropylene is not quite compatible with hydrophilic metal surface. The adhesive suggested by Dr. Traverso would be good for adhering to the metal surface side as acrylic adhesive has hydrogen bonding capability with the metal hydroxyl groups. However, it will not favorably interact with PP side. Thus, if you surface treat the PP either by flame or plasma treatment (of you have such devices), it would activate the surface and good adhesion can be expected to both PP and metal surface using the same adhesive. Another approach that does not use PP surface treatment device is to use a special silane coupling agent that can insert covalent bonds to PP molecules, provided that you can develop a good contact between the PP and metal surface. One of the silane coupling agent with azide functionality can insert covalent bond, in particular, to the methane carbon. This silane used to be available in large quantity commercially but it has since been discontinued; however, it is still available in experimental quantity from the companies that specializes in the laboratory quantity silane coupling agent, such as Gelest.
If you want adhesive bond that breaks the PP you have to surface treat it by oxidative fluorination and then bond it with any strong epoxy to the metal. However gas fluorination is not readily available.
3M's DP8005 bonds very well to PE and PP and I have used it for years to repair automotive parts made from these polymers. But it does not adhere so well to metals. But you can use it as a thin primer layer on the PR/PP plastic and then bond the primed part to metal with any strong epoxy. I have always wondered what the magic ingredient is in the catalysed DP8005 adhesive - whatever it is is has a sharp smell. Convenient two part tubes and the dispenser with mixing nozzles are available world wide from McMaster Carr or directly from 3M.
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