Stick to It – Part 2

LSE Plastics

Most popular label products are preset with their recommended adhesives, often determined by the label material you select. All our pressure-sensitive adhesion labels are capable of bonding with “high surface energy” (HSE) materials, such as glass, smooth metal, and many common types of plastic. Every once in a while, though, you run across a plastic surface that stickers just won’t stick on. Why is that? Do they have grease on them? Well, unless they are a recently used butter container, the answer is probably no. Some plastics are "nonstick" by their very molecular structure. Think Teflon®.

“Non-Stick” Surfaces

Teflon® is a plastic surface (polytetrafluoroethylene, to be precise) that can resist heat, but it also has the handy characteristic of not allowing things to stick to it. It’s often applied to cookware. Whether it is overcooked scrambled eggs or an adhesive label, neither is likely to stick well to a smooth Teflon® surface. Plastics like this are known as low surface energy, or LSE plastics. Besides Teflon®, other common LSE plastics are polypropylene and polyethylene.

If you pour a liquid onto a material with a high surface energy, the liquid will not bead up, but rather pool out, smoothly covering the other surface. This is called “wetting out.” An example is rain on an unwaxed car. Pour that same liquid onto a surface with a low surface energy, though, and the liquid will bead up, just like rain on a waxed car.

What Does That Mean for Labels?

Think of a pressure-sensitive adhesive as a liquid. If you put it onto a surface with a high surface energy (like glass, porcelain, steel, other metals), it will "wet out" and cover the surface. This provides a strong bond, because the adhesive is able to form links between the underlying surface and the surface of the label, all over the surface of the label.

But if you place that same pressure sensitive adhesive onto a surface that has a low surface energy, the "liquid" adhesive tends to bead up. It will not spread itself out completely to bond to the surface below it, and so the label doesn’t stick as well. That is what happens with an LSE plastic.

Solutions for LSE Plastics

MaverickLabel.com has solutions for this LSE "non-stick" problem. (Be aware, however, that no adhesive will work as well on as LSE plastic as it will on HSE materials.) LSE-rated materials include:

Asset Tags

White polyester – 2-mil thick film with a durable glossy white finish. Resistant to heat, tearing, stretching, and abrasion. Good for industrial applications where there is heat or physical stress. Will not confirm to complex or sharply curved surfaces. Rated for two years outdoors, and temperatures between -40 and 302 degrees Fahrenheit (-40 to 150 Celsius). UL recognized. Product lines: Asset Tags

Metalized Matte Silver Polyester Asset Tags[/caption]

Metalized matte silver polyester – 2-mil thick metalized silver polyester film with a matte finish. Because it is metalized, it may conduct electricity and should be placed with caution inside electronics. Resistant to heat, tearing, stretching, and abrasion. Good for industrial applications where there is heat or physical stress. Will not confirm to complex or sharply curved surfaces. Rated for two years outdoors, and temperatures between -40 and 302 degrees Fahrenheit (-40 to 150 Celsius). UL recognized. Product lines: Asset Tags[/su_animate][/vc_column_text]

LexSaver® Plus – Our 10-mil material is resistant to heat, tearing, stretching, and excessive abrasion. Excellent for industrial applications where there is exposure to weather or physical stress. UV-resistant polypropylene protective coating is ultra-durable. Will not confirm to complex or sharply curved surfaces. Rated for 7+ years outdoors, and temperatures between -40 and 176 degrees Fahrenheit (-40 to 80 Celsius). Product lines: Asset Tags, Graphic Overlays

Other LSE Applications

Lexan® – Semi-rigid, clear 10 mil Lexan® (polycarbonate), with your choice of a lustrous velvet finish or a matte finish. Perfect for nameplates, graphic overlays, and more. Outdoor exposure may cause yellowing of polycarbonate in direct sunlight. You can specify your preferred adhesive (thin for smooth, thick for slightly rough or uneven surfaces). Select the 3M300LSE adhesive if you plan to use on LSE materials. Product lines: Industrial Equipment, Graphic Overlays

Gloss Vinyl – This 6 mil pressure sensitive gloss vinyl has an aggressive acrylic permanent adhesive, designed to adhere to convex or rounded surfaces. Works on most LSE surfaces, including textured plastics and metal surfaces. Rated for 2 years outdoors. Available in clear or white. Product lines: Industrial Equipment

Other posts in the series: Part 1, Adhesives Primer