For those of you who don’t know, polycarbonate is a special type of thermal plastic that is well known for being able to transmit both heat and light through it while still being very durable. For this reason, it is often used for applications such as green houses where both light and heat need to be transmitted through the walls in order to allow plants to grow.
Now, with that being said, polycarbonate does of course have many more uses than just for green houses.
Whatever the case may be, something that you may have to do at some point is to glue polycarbonate together, or to group polycarbonate to another material, in which case you will need the right kind of adhesive. This is what we’re here to help you do today to help you find the best glue for polycarbonate. We have a nice buyers guide for you to take a look at as well as five of the best adhesives for polycarbonate on market at this time.
Click here to skip to our recommended pick!
- Temperature and water resistant
- High tensile strength
- Works on nearly all materials
- Can bond virtually all types of plastic
- Super strong
- Heat resistant
- Permanent bond
- Waterproof
- Works on all types of plastic
- Exceptionally strong
- Waterproof
- Temperature resistant
- Great bond strength
- Very resistant to temperatures
- Waterproof
Overall #1 Rated Pick
Perhaps the best type of glue that you can use to bond polycarbonate to other materials is two component acrylic glue or polyurethane glue. Both of these types of glues form what is essentially a solid layer of plastic, with two component acrylic epoxy generally being seen as the best.
When the resin and the hardener of this two component system mix, there is a chemical reaction that occurs, which causes the resin to form into solid plastic.
In terms of the best glue for polycarbonate, it has to be J-B Weld 50133 Plastic Bonder, and there are several reasons as to why this is the case, so let’s take a closer look.
Now, although the two components of this glue do need to be mixed together in order to use it, what is convenient is the fact that this stuff sets within just 15 minutes and can be sanded within 30 minutes after application. This provides you with enough time to work with it, so you can organize yourself while also being speedy enough to allow you to get on with your day.
It is also important to note that this product works really well on a variety of materials, including thermoset and carbon fiber composites, thermoplastics, concrete, and coated metals. Not only is this product great for bonding plastic to plastic, but also for plastic to metal bonding.
What is quite impressive about this product is that it has a tensile strength of nearly 4000 PSI. Not only does this stuff have a very strong bond strength, but it also works very well for filling gaps. Yes, this glue is very resistant to extreme temperatures and it is waterproof as well.
Before we get into talking about the various best glues for polycarbonate, it is a good idea for you to take a look at this buyers guide. We’re going to provide you with a ton of useful information in terms of choosing and using the best glue for polycarbonate.
Types of Glue for Polycarbonate
The first important thing for us to cover here is that there are various types of glue that you can use to adhere one piece of polycarbonate to another or to adhere polycarbonate to a different material.
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Super Glue
Although Super Glue does not work for all types of plastics, it works just fine for polycarbonate. No, super glue does not form the strongest bond when it comes to bonding polycarbonate together, but it is still quite strong, more than strong enough for most applications, not to mention the fact that it takes just a couple of minutes for this stuff to cure. Moreover, super glue is water resistant but not fully waterproof, so anything glued together with super glue should not be fully submerged. Super Glue is also easily, accessible and very cheap. Just make sure to work in a very well ventilated area when using super glue.
Epoxy
The next option that you have that your disposal is epoxy or two part policy. Epoxy and two part epoxy does form a stronger bond than super glue, but it can take many hours up to 48 hours for it to fully cure. Epoxy will turn yellow overtime with exposure to UV rays, so it is not recommended for outdoor use, but with that being said epoxy is totally waterproof, which is definitely a big bonus. Just don’t use the epoxy for anything that will be visible because it doesn’t look the nicest.
Polyurethane or Acrylic Glue
Something else that you can try using to glue polycarbonate is polyurethane glue, acrylic glue or urethane glue. In other words, you can use other types of plastic adhesives to glue together polycarbonate. For those of you don’t know, plastic adhesives are ones that form into plastic ones cured. This stuff will form some of the strongest bonds around that are also waterproof and very temperature resistant. However, with that being said, the stuff usually makes a mess. It’s somewhat poisonous and you need to work in a well ventilated area, not to mention that if you take up to 72 hours to fully cure.
Methacrylate
When it comes down to it, methacrylate is the number one best type of glue that you can use to fuse polycarbonate together (other industrial adhesives work well too). In fact, this stuff is so darn strong that if you tried to pull apart two pieces of polycarbonate that have been bonded with methacrylate glue, you’re more likely to break the pieces of plastic. Then you are the glue.
How to Gluing Polycarbonate
Glue Polycarbonate to Polycarbonate
To bond two pieces of polycarbonate together, all you have to do is choose the glue of choice. For smaller applications, we remain we recommend using super glue and for larger applications we recommend using a real polycarbonate cement or plastic adhesive. All we have to do is to apply a very small amount to both surfaces and then press them together for no less than five minutes.
Glue Polycarbonate to Wood
The fact of the matter is that most types of glue that you can use to bond polycarbonate together will not bond with would. Therefore, you need to choose a type of glue that will bond with would an. This is generally super glue. That said, some industrial adhesives should also work. Once you have chosen the right type of glue, all you have to do is apply a very small amount of it to one of the surfaces and then press them together.
Glue Polycarbonate to Metal
If you plan on bonding polycarbonate metal, then what you need to use a polyurethane adhesive as this is really the only type of adhesive that will bond well with both metal and polycarbonate. Polyurethane adhesive will take some time to cure, so once you have applied the glue and pressed both pieces together, you will need to clamp them.
Here we have included a convenient tutorial video on exactly how to bond polycarbonate to a variety of materials.
Safety Tips
Before we finish things off for the day, let’s provide you with a few tips to help keep you safe when bonding polycarbonate with a variety of adhesives.
- Never ingest any of these substances as some of them can be extremely poisonous.
- When working with adhesives that produce noxious fumes, always wear a respirator.
- When using adhesives, always work in a very well ventilated area.
- Always wear good gloves when working with any kind of adhesive, especially something that bonds to your skin very fast, such as super glue.
- In case you are not the most careful of a person, it might be a good idea to wear some eye protection as well.
The Best Glue for Polycarbonate
The top best product [hide]
J-B Weld 50133 Plastic Bonder
You may like how this product takes just 15 minutes to set, so you have more than enough time to work with it, yet it also allows you to send it within just 30 minutes. The fact that it has an extremely high tensile strength rating is a big bonus too.
That said, achieving a full cure it will take around 30 hours. This product is ideal for both surface applications and for gap filling. You may also like how this product is extremely resistant to both hot and cold temperatures. Plus it is also totally waterproof once cured.
- Quick setting
- High strength
- Works on many materials
Weld-On 4 Acrylic Adhesive
Yes, this is one of the most durable, strongest, most heat resistant and most waterproof types of plastic glue around. But would that be instead, it is extremely poisonous. This is not something that you want to use without gloves and a respirator. That being said, if you need something that is strong then this is a great option to consider.
- For industrial use
- High strength
- Extremely resilient
SCIGRIP 10315 16 Acrylic Plastic Cement
What you may also appreciate is that this product features a working time of 5-6 minutes before it sets. This means that you have more than enough time to work with while also not having to wait forever until it sets. Another benefit here is that it contains a very low level of VOC, which is of course good for both you and the environment.
Keep in mind that this is a solvent adhesive, which means that it quite literally melts the plastic first before bonding everything together. So just make sure that what you are doing is correct, because once the bond is made, it is permanent.
- Fast setting
- Good working time
- Low VOC
Caseway SC-325 Polycarbonate Cement
With that being said, this is the perfect type of adhesive to use for polycarbonate to polycarbonate bonding, and in fact this is its specific application. Whether or not it works for other types of plastic is questionable.
That said, this is one of the fastest bonding cement adhesives out there. One that takes only a few minutes to set. Moreover, once this product is cured, which does take awhile to achieve, by the way, it is fully temperature and waterproof. The bond which this product forms is extremely strong and nearly impossible to ever break.
- Fast setting
- Specifically for polycarbonate
- Permanent
C-Poxy Two Part Epoxy
But that being said, what is very impressive about this product is that it works on virtually all types of plastic, concrete, rubber, stone, glass, ceramic, wood, and fiberglass.
- Works on many materials
- Waterproof
- Temperature resistant
Conclusion
Due to its ease of use, superior bond strength, and its temperature and water resistance, there is no denying the fact that J-B Weld 50133 Plastic Bonder is the best product on the list today.
