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By Scott Sabreen Adhesion and abrasion durability of cured coatings and inks are two critical performance properties. These properties can be interdependent but often are mutually exclusive. That is, cured coatings and inks can demonstrate good adhesion and poor abrasion, or poor adhesion and good abrasion. Proper testing and understanding of adhesion and abrasion ensures … Techniques for Measuring Adhesion and Abrasion Durability of Coatings and Ink

By Scott Sabreen, The Sabreen Group Plastics adhesion problems are widespread throughout the industry. A major contributing factor to these problems is that many plastics have chemically inert and nonporous surfaces with low surface tensions. That is, most plastics are hydrophobic and are not naturally wettable. These properties, although advantageous to the design engineer, often … Surface Wetting and Pretreatment Methods

By Scott Sabreen Problems arising from polymeric adhesion bonding are pervasive throughout the plastics industry. Two-dimensional and three dimensional products often require bonding plastic-to-plastic, plastic-to-metal, plastic-to-composite, and so on. In addition to adhesives (epoxies, urethanes, acrylics, silicones, etc.), adhesion bonding applications include adhesion of printing inks, paints and coatings, encapsulants, potting compounds, metallization, and more. … Solving the Problems of Plastics Adhesion

By Scott R. Sabreen, The Sabreen Group, Inc. Polymeric and elastomeric substrates often can be extremely challenging to achieve robust bonding adhesion strength to like or dissimilar materials. Bonding applications are not limited to only adhesives, but include printing inks, paints and coatings, encapsulant and potting compounds, metallization and more. This article describes “Low Pressure … Cold Gas Plasma Surface Modification – Optimize Plastics Bonding Adhesion

By Joseph DiGiacomo and Scott R. Sabreen Adhesion problems are widespread throughout the plastics industry and are increasing as metal components are being replaced by advanced engineering polymers. Many plastics have chemically inert and nonporous surfaces with low surface tensions that make bonding difficult. Most plastics are hydrophobic and are not naturally wettable. Surface pretreatments … Flame Plasma Pretreatment Improves Adhesion of Polymers

By Scott Sabreen, The Sabreen Group Question: Our company uses corona discharge/air-plasma pretreatments before bonding to polyolefins. The product surface is textured with remote separation areas, so dyne testing is very difficult. Is there a way to test in-line production without using hazardous dyne solutions? Answer: Yes, there is a new breakthrough technology to measure contact … Plastics Surface Energy Wetting Test Methods

By Scott Sabreen, The Sabreen Group Decorative waterborne coatings provide exceptional appearance, functionality, value and are environmentally friendly. Waterborne coating is a fast-developing technology using water as the means to transfer the coating to the plastic surface and is becoming the new standard, replacing many of its solvent-based counterparts. Today’s waterborne chemistries can offer equal … High-Performance Waterborne Coatings

By Scott Sabreen, The Sabreen Group The processes used to apply most liquid paints to plastics are not much different than those employed or painting metals, although powdercoating is still quite unusual on plastics. Additionally, certain  specific painting methods widely used on metals, such as chemical deposition (autophoretic) and electro-deposition coating, are not possible with … Preparing Plastics for Painting