Ray has been bonding to or with plastics since 1950 when he was given the challenge of bonding silicone rubber (which didn’t stick to anything) to Teflon (to which nothing sticks). Since he was just a green graduate student, he didn’t know it was impossible, and the result was U.S. patent 2,705,691.

His talk will cover the basics of how to make things adhere. The surface characteristics of the adherents is a primary concern, insuring that the proposed adhesive will “wet” the surface. The bond interface is a major concern as to how stresses are carried through the joint. The strength of an adhesive is not a complete measure of its toughness.Solvent and solution adhesives, 2-part adhesives, hot-melts, moisture-curing, and ultrasonic-responsive adhesives are in the bag of tricks that Ray will be discussing. He is game to answer any and all questions about special applications.

We hope to see you there!

Best regards, Bob Olsen