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Surfaces CA Glues Do Not Adhere Well To

by Jonathan Downing on February 07, 2022

Surfaces CA Glues Do Not Adhere Well To

One of the most adhesive used widely for gluing together surfaces is CA glue. It offers an instant bond to most surfaces that are friendly to the glue. The glue works best on wood and a few other surfaces. However, it does not glue well on every surface. Before using any cyanoacrylate super glue, you should make sure to run through the instructions very carefully.You do not want to waste time gluing on surfaces that will not adhere to the strong adhesive. Such as oily and dirty surfaces, liquids and gases, the following plastics do not adhere to the cyanoacrylate adhesive.

Delrin Plastics

Delrin plastics are acetal plastics that go by the brand name Delrin. It is a very tricky plastic to glue together with most adhesives, ca being one of them. When you apply ca on Delrin, it will not give it an instant bond. Instead, it forms a shell that is easy to remove.

Polypropylene Plastic

Polypropylene plastic, mainly used in automotive and textile industries, does not glue well with CA glue. This is mostly because of its semi-crystalline nature and its high chemical resistance.

Teflon Plastic

Teflon plastic has a number of property combinations that make it hard to glue together using some adhesives like CA glue. Teflon plastic is chemical resistance and does not weather easily.

High-Density Polyethylene Plastic

High-density polyethylene is a very common plastic used mainly in packaging. Plastic bottles, plastic lumber, resistant piping and geomembranes are some of the most common products made from polyethylene.

In addition to the above plastics, cyanoacrylate super glue does not adhere to the following surfaces:

  • Wet surfaces
  • Very smooth surfaces like glass
  • Porous surfaces which fail to build strong instant bonds with cyanoacrylate adhesive like wood
  • Metal surfaces
  • Oily surfaces will not bond with most glues unless you clean up the surfaces first.
  • Dirty surfaces might not get the instant bond with CA glue unless you use sandpaper on them to clean up the dirt first.

Wrapping it up

Ca adhesive is one of the strongest glues in the market and it is waterproof. It is best for repairs, filling up cracks or gouges, putting finer final additions on wood, eliminating pinholes, hardening cases and repairing chips among other things.

Make sure you get to know the surfaces you are gluing together to avoid any disappointments. Use only the right amount of glue because any excess will not do a good job. One drop of CA glue can cover a square inch of the surface you are gluing together.

Make sure you have gloves to avoid the glue from sticking on your fingers and if necessary, wear goggles to avoid eye irritation from the CA fumes. For bonding applications, the glue should sparingly be applied to one side of the surface. If you apply on both sides, it may not give the instant bonding you want.

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