Re: Fusing plastic to metal

I'm assuming that the UHMW polymer is PE. If it is PP, the same
remarks apply. If it is something else, let me know and I may or may
not have to change my remarks.

Polyethylene doesn't like to stick to much of anything, and vice versa.
The chains crystallize - form a regular packing pattern - whereas
adhesion relies on amorphous chains - randomly packing like a plate of
spaghetti. Heat will soften the crystals, but as they cool, they will
go back to being crystalline again and thereby nonadhesive.

Can you treat corona or flame treat the surface of the PE? Doing so
oxidizes the surface and makes it easier for the epoxy to bond to it.
Your still stuck with using epoxy, but you should have improved
adhesion.

John
Aspen Research, - www.aspenresearch.com
"Turning Questions into Answers"

Opinions expressed herein are my own and may not represent those of my
employer.

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