Polyethylene is a type of plastic that can be used for construction, insulation, and other purposes.
It’s one of the most common types of plastic, but it can sometimes be difficult to find the right glue to adhere it together.
We have compiled a list of our best glue for polyethylene so you can get started with your glue project.
Are they different types of Polyethelene?
Yes, they are two main different polyethylene types. What you need to remember is that polyethylene is a very strong and lightweight thermoplastic. That’s why it is used a lot nowadays. The two polyethylene types are:
- LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene).
- HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene).
Can you glue polyethylene?
Yes, you definitely can. However, and though people say you can glue polyethylene together, this is not really the reality. To glue two plastic parts (two polyethylene parts) together, you’ll need to use a “bonding process”.
What this means is simple. You don’t really glue two parts, you bond them. In other words, you melt one plastic part into the other part so that they form a single piece of plastic.
#1. J-B Weld Plastic Polyethylene Bonder
For those who are interested in the best glue for polyethylene, we highly recommend you go with the J-B Weld Plastic Polyethylene Bonder.
This urethane adhesive has a tensile strength of 3770 PSI and sets in just 15 minutes. It forms an extremely tough and strong bond that is long-lasting and can endure lots of extreme temperatures.
It is also quite easy to apply and won’t make a mess everywhere.
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Will epoxy bond to polyethylene?
No. Epoxy has not been designed to bond polyethylene and as such cannot be used for that purpose. Having said so, some manufacturers claim that they have developed epoxy solutions that can bond HDPE.
Can polyethylene be welded?
Yes, it can. However, there is a minor but highly important subtle detail that you need to understand. You can weld HDPE to LDPE. However, you cannot weld LDPE to HDPE. There are special heating “HDPE” guns specially designed and manufactured for this purpose.
What is the Best Glue For Polyethylene?
Below are 5 of the top and best glue for polyethylene.
- J-B Weld Plastic Polyethylene Bonder
- Permatex Plastic Weld Adhesive
- Gorilla Clear Grip Contact Adhesive
- Loctite Super Glue For Polyethylene
- Starbond Super Fast Thin Cyanoacrylate
#1. J-B Weld Plastic Polyethylene Bonder
The J-B Weld Plastic Polyethylene Bonder is in our opinion the best glue for polyethylene because it really gives you that industrial bond strength while being easy to use.
The tensile strength of the bond is rated at 3770 PSI and if that’s not enough for you, then you are kind of out of luck.
This stuff sets in about 15 minutes and can be sanded in around 30 minutes.
This gives you plenty of time to reposition and readjust your angles.
Furthermore, we really like the fact that it can endure through some pretty extreme temperatures, which we can’t say about the others.
And being one of the easier two-part urethane bonders out there, there’s not much to pick at it other than it dries to a light tan color and is not clear. But J-B- Weld also sells clear ones.
Will JB Weld bond to polyethylene?
There are reports out on the web mentioning that JB-Weld must not be used to bond HDPE or LDPE.
We put this claim to the test and our tests showed that the JB weld works well with both HDPE and LDPE.
Now, we could not test all types of HDPE and LDPE and there could some specific polyethylene plastics where JB Weld does not provide satisfactory results.
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#2. Permatex Plastic Weld Adhesive Glue
Next up, we have the Permatex Plastic Weld Adhesive, which is the best glue for polyethylene if you want a structural adhesive that is fast curing and requires no primers.
This adhesive cures in just about 5 minutes which is much faster than the J-B Weld mentioned above. The trade-off is that it is just a little less strong, coming in with a tensile strength of 3500 PSI.
Also, it settles to a cream-like appearance, which is way more light and blends in better with everything than the tanner-like color of the J-B- Weld.
And it does fairly well with various temperature ranges as well. The only thing you have to give up is a bit less bonding strength, but it really isn’t that noticeable anyway.
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#3. Gorilla Clear Grip Contact Adhesive
Another great option when it comes to the best glue for polyethylene is the Gorilla Clear Grip Contact Adhesive.
This thing is 100% waterproof and dries nice and clear instead of a tan cream color.
The trade-off between Gorilla Glue over the above-mentioned brand is that there is a significant loss in bond strength. Don’t get us wrong, the bond strength is still amazingly strong.
But it is nothing compared to the above brands in terms of tensile strength. However, the trade-off is that you get a bond that is more flexible, paintable when cured and fast grabbing.
It also has a no-run formula that dries pretty fast. This can be a good and bad thing, depending on how you see things and how fast you work.
Does Gorilla Glue work on polyethylene?
I think there is some confusion here. Gorilla glue will not work on polypropylene (PP). It will, however, work on polyethylene.
Please note that Gorilla Glue will not work on all of the different types of polyethylene with high oil or plasticizer content. So ensure you understand the type of plastic you are aiming to glue (or bond)
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#4. Loctite Super Glue For Polyethylene
The Loctite Super Glue For Polyethylene is clearly a great product and we put it on our top 5 list because it simply is a great brand with a good reputation for making quality glues.
Believe it or not, brand reputation is quite important in this industry as there is plenty of crap products that just don’t make the cut for making quality reliable glues. Luckily Loctite isn’t one.
We like this glue because it is quite easy to use and is quick and neat with no mixing required. It has a pretty short set and cure time and doesn’t make a mess everywhere.
We like that it doesn’t take much to create a really strong bond. Also, the activator does a really good job of priming hard-to-bond materials such as polyethylene.
Click here for more information
#5. Starbond Super Fast Thin Cyanoacrylate
Lastly, we have the Starbond Super Fast Thin Cyanoacrylate, which is a really nice super glue that gives you a very precise application.
While it doesn’t have the priming ability of some of the above-mentioned 2 part systems, it is good enough bonding just on its own and is certainly much easier to apply.
We really like the applicator tips that it comes with and the capping systems, which do a great job of making sure there are no clogs and that you properly administer the glue precisely where needed.
Lastly, the applicator tips are long enough such that you can really get into some nice cracks, crevice, and bend around corners. This is a nice bonus that many other brands don’t have.
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Final words
With so many glues to choose from, it can be hard to know which is best for your project. And you may be wondering, what is the best glue for polyethylene?
I am sure you know this, but Polyethylene is one of the most common plastic materials used today.
Plastic irrigation pipes, food packaging, and even shopping bags are made from polyethylene.
With so many uses for this popular material, it’s important to know which glue to use when repairing or assembling different types of polyethylene products.
This is is why we put together this post to provide you with everything you need to know about choosing the right and best Glue for Polyethylene.
Note that our favorite choice goes to J-B Weld. Cheap and highly effective glue. The Permatex and Gorilla are excellent too.
I think we all know Loctite, which is a global brand. Their glue is perfect for polyethylene and you can also opt to use Starbond.
All in all, it is difficult to choose amongst the above 5 best types of glue as this is more a preferential choice, the brand, and obviously the price.
References
https://www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/polyethylene-pe-for-prototypes-3d-printing-and-cnc
https://www.permabond.com/2015/03/31/prepare-bond-polyethylene/
