Polyprolene Adhesive

Keith186

Hi,

I'm looking to repair a latch on a Givi box of a motorbke.

I glued it but it didn't work great so I bought the strongest glue I could find and it still didn't work.

Have since read packaging afterwards and it says sticks everything except PE & PP plastics.

Of course the box would have to be PP!

So I'm looking to get some good strong adhesive to repair it.

Anyone in the know? Looks to be awkward enough to get stuff to fix it.

Alternatively if you knew a workshop that'd do it I'd probably leave it in with them (not DIY really though!).



Thanks

reverenddave

Halfords

or any half decent motor factor should have this !!!!

or some local DIY store do it

Keith186

I got some adhesive in halfords that said it'd stick hard plastics. It was single use stuff looked pretty good but the latch popped right off under pressure like the ordinary glue.

Gonna bring it back for refund as didn't do what it said on the box.

Are there any glues specifically for polypropylene?

reverenddave

did you leave it set for long enough ???????

generally they need a few hours to go properly hard

i'll ask a mate of mine later he's some sort of sciencey guy
he might know, i'll get back to you

slimjimmc

You could try welding the plastic together with a hot soldering iron. For polypropylene you need a temperature of 260C +/-5C and you can use another bit of polypropylene as a joint filler if you need it.

Plenty of videos on YouTube under "Plastic Welding with Soldering Iron".

reverenddave

mate just texted me back
you cant actually glue polypropylene it's too resistant to adhesives
it needs to be welded



but i did find this



Polypropylene PP R#5 is highly resistant to solvents, thus it cannot be glued in the same way that PVC can, wherein the surface is prepped using a solvent primer. It can only be joined or ultra-sonicly welded. A workaround exists utilizing a thermal adhesion process to treat the surface with a thin film of another more suitable plastic. One such company is listed below.

For the enthusiast, I recommend abrading the surface of both objects with a coarse wood file before using 2 part epoxy to form a mechanical bond. The two surfaces should be clamped together or placed under a large weight as this will create a thinner bonding layer further increasing sheer strength. Use lots though, and wipe up the excess which is pressed out. A flat rubber mat such as a mouse pad or rubber from a holy innertube placed between the objects and the weight or clamped surfaces will ensure more uniform compression. This is a new skill that takes practice, so do a few test pieces before working on your final product.

CAUTION: Do not use a heat source at any time while using epoxy or solvents as there is a risk of fire or explosion. Always use solvents in a well ventilated area free from any electrical device which could cause a spark.

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_to_glue_polypropylene#ixzz1KBSQ3ZrE

Keith186

Thanks guys.

I was thinking it was awkward stuff to glue alright.

I don't fancy solder welding it myself as it's a tricky little piece approx 50mm x 3mm thick as the contact surface.

The glue method looks tricky too as I won't be able to get it clamped at all.

I'll see if a workshop can do it relatively cheap, if not might get a solder and chance welding it as I'll have nothing to lose at that stage! Will scrap it if it goes arseways.

CJhaughey

You won't fix it. PP is a bitch to repair and the latch on a top box is under quite a bit of pressure.