Why use polymeric adhesion promoters?
When mixing polymers with other components, be it fillers or even other polymers
these two or more components will not necessarily like each other. In most of the
cases there will be a repelling force and there will be very poor or even no adhesion.
This will occur while mixing or even in many cases also when trying to adhere such
components. An analogy of the real world will be mixing of oil and water in your
salad sauce. Without mixing the components will separate. An example in the polymer
world will be PA and PE.
In order to improve adhesion, adhesion promotors can be added. Adhesion promotors
that are most easy to handle are polymeric adhesion promotors, which can
also be called compatibilizers or coupling agents. They act as surfactants
. For example detergent powder as surfactant will 'compatibilise' the dirt with
the water in the washing maschine and facilitate the washing cycle.
When adhesion promotors are used to increase the compatibility of two immiscible
polymers, they are called COMPATIBILIZERS (mode
of action).
When adhesion promotors are used to increase the adhesion between a polymeric system
and a filler, they are called COUPLING AGENTS (mode
of action).
Chemically these are the same materials in both cases.
In this Adhesion Promotors Center, we are offering you information selected and
structured to answer your questions about compatibilization and coupling agents.
You find out the basic mechanism of action and
a description of polymeric adhesion promotors.
Some applications will illustrate the benefits
of such products.
