Gluing Polycarbonate?

Is it possible, and if so how, to reliably join together two pieces of polycarbonate? My application would involve an interlocking joint forming a 90 degree angle. Friction alone might work, but permanently merging the pieces should increase the joint's reliability.

Reply to
Chris S.
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Try using a solvent type acrylic cement- it works nicely enough on polycarbonate. It is also water-clear if you get the stuff from the plastics supply house. For application, get yourself a polyethylene bottle with a blunted hypodermic tip- these are also for sale at the plastics houses.

Cheers!

Sir Charles W. Shults III, K. B. B. Xenotech Research

321-206-1840
Reply to
Sir Charles W. Shults III

there is an adhesive made by GE called LEXGRIP which works very well, It is made for glueing lexan which is polycarbonate.

Reply to
mike elliott

Google returns no relevant results for "lexgrip". Where could I find more info? Wouldn't cyanoacrylate glues be effective?

Reply to
Chris S.

Follow Chip's advice. Most any solvent-based cement for acrylic will work with polycarbonate, as both are dissolve by many of the same solvents. IPS Weld-on is a major manufacturer. You'll find it at an industrial plastics outlet. Check the Yellow Pages.

If you are looking to bond polycarbonate to another material, a two-part acrylic adhesive is the best.

No. Stay away from CA glues for permanent bonds on plastic.

-- Gordon Author: Constructing Robot Bases, Robot Builder's Sourcebook, Robot Builder's Bonanza

Reply to
Gordon McComb

Is that from Luthor Corp in Metropolis? :o)

I'm having a really bad day trying to program a 3 axis lathe as an AutoCAD DMPL plotter. WHY do the swine include lines that are only one or two units long? It is really molluxing up my tool angle

Reply to
Robin G Hewitt

Gordon:

Is your statement about cyanoacrylate glues aimed at all plastics, or only the polycarbonates in question?

I posted a few weeks ago on bonding nylon and found a post over in rec.sport.billiard (of all places)

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that cyanoacrylates and epoxies should work well with nylons and can work ok with acetal if a primer like Loktite is used.

I have to ask b/c my own experiments with Nylon and Epoxy were dismal and they seem fairly regarded in the other post. Of course all they are doing is putting tips on cues :-)

So what are cyanoacrylates good for?

Thanks Kev>

Reply to
Kevin C.

Most plastics, except thermoset or cross-linked types, can be more effectively glued using a solvent-based cement. CA glues set quickly, which is the best thing about them. But they require careful application and work best if the surfaces have been properly prepared. Epoxies, acrylic cements, and solvent cements last longer and aren't as particular. In a commercial environment you'd use a special applicator for CA glues, not a squeeze tube or bottle.

I read and replied to your previous query on gluing nylon. Basically you don't, as the vast majority of nylon products contain binders, lubricants, and other materials that make most bonding agents fairly useless. Nylon, even chemically pure, has a molecular structure that makes it difficult to glue, either to itself or other things.

However, it can be done. Very likely you'd eventually be able to find some combination of solvent primers, surface preparation, and bonding agents that would work, but it would take trial-and-error as there is no single solution. If I recall your original post, mechanical coupling would be preferred, and far easier.

-- Gordon Author: Constructing Robot Bases, Robot Builder's Sourcebook, Robot Builder's Bonanza

Kev>

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claiming that cyanoacrylates and epoxies should work well with

Reply to
Gordon McComb

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