Glue Polyethylene?

[creative_mind]

I am experimenting with polyethylene - cutting board material, white color.

Has anyone glued polyethylene together successfully?

[High Seas]

creative-mind:
I know epoxy and bondo/polyester resins won't stick - I use the cutting boards to mix on. A few years back, I tried "gluing" a water tank - some sort of poly product in my buddy's RV. It held for a while then started leaking again. So then I welded it together. Held since - and thats over 3 years!
The glue I tried was similar to this stuff: http://cyberfixusa.com/_wsn/page2.html
I see they have a primer now too, so maybe that would help - pretty expensive stuff.
If you want to buy a plastic welder there is this one: http://www.autobodydepot.net/scripts...stweldgate.bbx
But you could experiment using a small torch and try welding it together - Careful - its Hot--and runny. Don't let it get brown - burnt and won't stick as well.
Cheers Jim

[witold]

Using a flame torch get the surface of polyethylene “glossy” but not to melt. It is the best moment to cover with a epoxy resin./process is called coronation/ It worked for me many times.

[DareBee]

There is special epoxy try Mcmaster Carr #7513A2

[creative_mind]

Can someone here email me a copy of an article from The Home Shop Machinist back issue May/June 2004 - "Getting Started with Welding Plastic"?

[c-c-cncboy]

Hey Creative Mind,
Polyethylene, typical of polyolefins, enjoys a state of "low surface energy" due to the high energy of the carbon-hydrogen internal bond structure. So it's difficult for adhesive compounds to attach to the surface of polyethylene. Corona treatment by high-voltage discharge and UV bombardment, both can disrupt that carbon-hydrogen bond and leave "tails" you can glue to a little. Thermoplastic welding is the best way to bond polyethylenes, but those with higher molecular weight have high melt viscosity when heated above the typical PE melt temperature around 130 Celsius (they will sit there and grin back at you rather than be flowable). There are some cute adhesive from 3M such as their Y-9471 and Y-9472 in the form of "transfer adhesive" - actually sheet glue cast on a removable liner paper. They are good for thin polyethylene sheet bonding, like the wear-resistant PE tapes from Nitto and a dozen others, but this is not for structural thick sections. Unless you become skilled at fusion butt welding, please don't rely on welding of polyethylene structurally. There's a bunch of literature out there. Contact me if I can help.
Regards, Terrence

[c-c-cncboy]

Oh, Creative Mind,
One of those references to start you off about state of the art in PE welding:
http://www.malcom.com/downloads/techtips/tips.pdf
Regards, Terrence