Material guide
Gluing LDPE
Flexible polyethylene used for squeezy bottles, bags, sheeting and pond liners.
Also called low density polyethylene, PE-LD, polythene, recycling code 4.
How LDPE behaves when you bond it
Combines the low surface energy of HDPE with flexibility, so the bond has to overcome poor adhesion and keep moving. Heat welding is the usual answer for anything structural.
LDPE is a flexible low-surface-energy polyolefin. Its poor wettability, creep and thin-wall movement make ordinary rigid adhesives unreliable; successful systems are normally formulated for untreated polyolefins or use a validated treatment/primer route.
Material properties
- Surface energy
- Low, which is what makes it hard to bond
- Porosity
- Non-porous
- Rigidity
- Flexible
- Maximum service temperature
- 60C
- Normally needs abrading
- No
- Normally needs a primer
- Yes
- Requires surface treatment
- (Named Permabond TA46xx structural acrylics can bond untreated polyethylene; this does not apply to general adhesive families.) Manufacturer verified
Surface preparation
Clean with isopropanol and let it dry. Do not abrade as a substitute for raising surface energy. Use a named LSE structural acrylic that explicitly covers polyethylene, or follow the selected adhesive maker's flame, plasma, corona or primer process. Test the actual grade, including slip additives.
Which adhesives work on LDPE
Excellent
Structural acrylic
Structural acrylic is rated excellent for this material as an application-level assessment, not as a blanket manufacturer claim. A named primer, LSE formulation or controlled surface treatment may be essential. Suitability still depends on the other substrate, joint design and service environment.
Conditional
Cyanoacrylate
Cyanoacrylate is rated conditional for this material as an application-level assessment, not as a blanket manufacturer claim. A named primer, LSE formulation or controlled surface treatment may be essential. Use only after a product-specific test on the actual grade and joint.
A primer or activator is needed.
Poor
Two-part epoxy
Two-part epoxy is rated poor for this material as an application-level assessment, not as a blanket manufacturer claim. A named primer, LSE formulation or controlled surface treatment may be essential. Use only after a product-specific test on the actual grade and joint.
A primer or activator is needed.
Last reviewed 8 October 2026.