Thermal Bonding and Surface Preparation

Thermal Bonding for Pressure Sensitive Adhesives (PSA)

These tapes are thermally bonded to the extruded profile (typically by the Extruder) using specially-designed heat laminating equipment. When properly applied, a permanent bond between the tape and the surface of the extrusion is obtained, resulting in a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) - attachable profile that can be bonded to a large variety of surface materials.

Percent of Bond Strength	Elapsed Time
50	20 minutes
65	1 hour
90	24 hours
100	72 hours

Time to achieve maximum bond can be shortened by increasing the temperature of the substrate to 125-150°F. Gaskets utilizing these tapes provide excellent performance at both high and low temperature conditions. These tapes are high performance formulations designed to meet a variety of requirements including holding power, Ultraviolet light stability, moisture resistance, salt spray resistance and more. [The preceding information on PSA joining systems was taken from 3M brochure 70-07030-7540-0, (c) 3M 1991].

Surface Preparation

Although the type of surface to be bonded is important, it should be noted that one of the most critical and overriding factors in adhesion is the condition of the bonding surfaces. The presence of surface contaminants such as oils, grease, plasticizers, mold release or dirt in general can cause adhesive failure regardless of the specific adhesive. Isopropyl alcohol can be used to remove most surface contaminants. Sufficient pressure must be applied to get full contact (wet out) between the substrate and the adhesive to create the best bond. Also, seals and gaskets with PSAs should be stored in a dry, dust-free environment, and should be applied at room temperature.