SURFACE ENERGY IS A TERM USED TO DESCRIBE THE EXCESS INTERACTION ENERGY THAT EXISTS AT THE SURFACE OF A GIVEN SUBSTRATE.
Surface energies range from high to low depending on their chemical make-up which affects the molecular force of attraction. High surface energy (HSE) means a strong molecular attraction, therefore easier to bond, whereas low surface energy (LSE) means a weak molecular attraction, therefore harder to bond.
Some Low Surface Energy as Composite, Polypropylene, Polyethylene, Teflon, Other thermoplastic polyolefins are now being used in many industries such as automotive, smart devices because of their advantages:
♦ Durability
♦ Flexibility
♦ Moisture and heat resistance
♦ Cost-effectiveness
However, everything has two sides and LSE Materials is not an exception, the most disadvantage of this material is being difficult to bond which make some difficulties in the assembly process. So as to solve this problem, there are 2 main ways:
1. Choose the right one adhesive which is specially formulated for Low Surface Energy Materials
2. Increase substrate surface energy by chemical/ physical/ mechanical or other new technology as Plasma Surface Treatment. Each method also has its own pros and cons, see more detail here.
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