Joining Traditional Materials

Surface energy is a measure of how readily something spreads out over a surface, also known as wet-out. Materials with high surface energy wet out very well and form bonds easily while those with low surface energy resist wetting out. Surface energy is the reason it’s simple to bond metals and difficult to bond plastics.​

​In between those extremes are a whole range of substrates with medium surface energies – not very difficult to bond, but each with its own specific considerations. This group of traditional materials includes old technologies such as glass, ceramics and concrete as well as more natural materials like wood, leather and fabric (both natural and synthetic). In many cases designers choose a specific material for its appearance, which can also affect the choice of adhesive.​

Fabrics range from natural materials like cotton or wool to synthetics made of Low Surface Energy (LSE) plastics such as polyester. Common applications where bonding is preferred to stitching include floor coverings and seat cushions as well as some clothing and accessories. Bonding concerns with fabric are usually about the base material rather than the fact that it’s woven into fabric. ​​

Leather is tanned animal skin and is prized for its durable yet flexible nature. It is most commonly used in clothing, sporting goods and furniture, often in applications where a bond is preferable to a visible stitch. The back side of leather is generally porous and easy to bond, but the finished side may have oil or finishing pigments that the adhesive has to bond rather than the leather itself.​​