
Surface electrons on the plastic substrate are affected by flame plasma.
[Sadly this is not a post about a beverage, but about why some labels won't stick to surfaces.]
An interesting phenonmenon sometime occurs when applying labels to plastic or low surface energy (LSE) surfaces: labels just won’t stick.
Why is that? Two articles explain it much better than we can. (Thanks to Wikipedia and MachineDesign; links are listed below.) Oils from the plastic substrate interfere with the adhesive’s ability to grab to the surface of the plastic. Cleaning the surface with alcohol won’t do the trick.
What needs to be done is treat the surface with a corona, or open flame. The flame will evaporate any surface oils left over from the manufacturing process. It will also microscopically roughen the surface and allow the label to stick.
Of course the appropriate adhesive needs to be called out when the order is placed. You’ll need an LSE adhesive.
Providing this kind of information is what Drake Industries is all about. Our sales staff has the engineering knowledge to “build” the appropriate labels, decals, stickers, and overlays for your needs. Quotes are always free and usually provided within hours. Contact us at quotes@drake.com or 1.800.531.5073 if you have questions about labels.
Drake has been in business for over 40 years. We are a veteran owned company and all of our products are made in the US.
Links:
http://machinedesign.com/article/bonding-low-surface-energy-plastics-0615
Posted by drakecb 







