Comparing metals, glass, and plastics against each other is common when weighing the pros and cons of various materials. However, when most people do so they lump all plastics together into one category.
The reality is that plastics vary widely in terms of function, form, and in details such as surface energy. The characteristics of different plastic products can make or break a plastic production project.
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An essential but lesser-known characteristic of plastics is surface energy. The surface energy of polymers refers to the chemical makeup of a material that influences its level of molecular attraction. A low surface energy plastic and a high surface energy plastic will perform differently.
Here’s what you need to know about surface energy and plastics, and how to account for these differences when comparing materials.
Low Surface Energy Plastics
Low surface energy materials feature a low level or weak potential attraction. Lower surface energy plastics such as polyolefin and polyethylene are well suited to non-stick and other low-adhesive options as it is difficult to bond them. Their utility is better centered around materials that don’t need to be bonded or combined with adhesive.
However, isn’t a hard rule. Thanks to advances in adhesives technology such as pressure sensitive adhesives, it’s possible to bond low surface energy materials, but it can be trickier than the high surface energy alternatives.
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High Surface Energy Plastics
You may hear the terms “high surface energy” in reference to harder materials such as glass and metals, but it can refer to certain plastics as well. For instance, ABS plastics and polycarbonates satisfy these characteristics. These plastics tend to allow easy bonding and long-term “stick” to adhesives. This is thanks to the high molecular attraction inherent in the chemical structure. Basically, these plastics want to bond with other materials. This provides quite a bit of utility for projects that require a wide spreading adhesive that has a lot of staying power.
The surface energy of polymers is essential in understanding how different types of plastics interact with bonding agents. Industrial Custom Products can help you navigate the different types of plastics to ensure you get the results you expect for your plastic production project. If you’re trying to select a material that best suits your project needs, our experts can help.
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Contact us and speak with an engineer about your project at (612) 781-2255, or request a quote online. You will receive a prompt response.
Industrial Custom Products is a one-stop-shop for custom manufacturing and plastic fabrication, including: prototyping and product development, die cutting and dieless knife cutting, thermoforming and vacuum forming, large part thermoforming, CNC plastic routing, fabrication and assembly and drape forming.
