Miscellaneous Thermoplastic Adhesives

Most thermoplastic polymers can be used as hot melt adhesive for bonding one material or another. The poly carbonates (which are really unconventional polyesters), and the formaldehyde linear polymers, known as the polyacetals, are examples of two that have been examined as adhesives, although better known as plastic molding of their strength is shown in other tables.

Bonding With Nylon Formed

An interesting method of bonding is that in which a poly-amide in formed in situ from monomeric lactams. The method enable bonding to be carried out at a temperature well below the melting point of the resultant polyamide. High strengths are claimed for metal to metal joints.

Soluble Nylon:
As previously mentioned, some type of nylon are soluble in mixtures of alcohol or alcohol and water. Of particular interest is the subtituted nylon N-methyl methoxy nylon, and the terpolymer of nylon 6, 610 and 6/6. These soluble nylons provide solution adhesives which are useful for bonding a variety of substances, and although lacking water and solvent resistance they have good resistance to heat. They are used in some formulated hot melt adhesives.

A valuable feature of the soluble nylons is that they are compatible with many other resins, enabling adhesive mixtures, for example, with phenolic or certain epoxy resins to be formulated. These adhesives are referred to in other sections where they have a more appropriate place, because the thermosetting component is not used simple as a primer as in the nylon/P.F. system just described.