Bonding Low & High Density Polyethylene with Industrial Adhesives

How to bond polyethylene (HDPE and LDPE).  Polyethylene is abbreviated as PE (or LDPE and HDPE for low and high-density PE).  Polyethylene is a thermoplastic material which can be challenging to bond.  Some form of surface preparation is needed to achieve significant bond strength on polyethylene with most adhesives.

Structural Acrylics

Permabond has developed a line of specialty acrylic adhesives which can form strong bonds to polyethylene without surface treatment.  Both Permabond TA4605 and TA4610 bond polyethylene with no surface treatment or primer.

These structural acrylics have good impact resistance and environmental resistance.  If you require a strong HDPE glue for a rugged application, this is the best option.

Cyanoacrylates

Cyanoacrylate adhesives can be used along with primer Permabond POP.  Cyanacrylates set almost instantly and provide good adhesion to HDPE provided the surface is pre-treated with Permabond POP primer.  The bonds have good resistance to non-polar solvents but do not fair as well with polar solvents.  Standard ethyl cyanoacrylates are brittle and do not have good impact resistance.  If impact resistance is needed contact Permabond about Flexible Cyanoacrylates.

Epoxy and UV Curable

Providing some form of surface treatment such as flame, corona, or plasma treatment used epoxy and UV grades can be tested.  Flexible epoxy such as Permabond ET515 is preferred.