Material guide
Gluing PLA+
Toughened PLA blends, slightly less brittle than standard PLA and marginally more heat tolerant.
Also called PLA Plus, tough PLA.
How PLA+ behaves when you bond it
Behaves like PLA for bonding purposes. The additives that improve toughness vary between brands, so a solvent that works on one supplier's PLA+ may do nothing on another's.
PLA+ is a trade category for modified PLA rather than a standard composition. Tougheners and other additives vary by supplier, so heat response, solvent sensitivity and bond performance cannot be assumed from ordinary PLA or from another brand's PLA+.
Material properties
- Surface energy
- Medium
- Porosity
- Non-porous
- Rigidity
- Rigid
- Maximum service temperature
- 60C
- Normally needs abrading
- Yes
- Normally needs a primer
- No
- Solvent sensitive
- Yes. Solvent-based adhesives can craze or dissolve the surface.
Surface preparation
Identify the brand and version, wash and dry, then sand the bond area to remove weak glossy skin and expose a consistent key. Remove dust with isopropanol only after an offcut test. Treat PLA evidence as a starting point, then test the actual PLA+ formulation for strength and heat cycling.
Which adhesives work on PLA+
Good
Cyanoacrylate
Cyanoacrylate is rated good for this material as an application-level assessment, not as a blanket manufacturer claim. The prepared surface must be sound and consistently keyed where the finish permits. Suitability still depends on the other substrate, joint design and service environment.
Abrade the surface first.
Good
Structural acrylic
Structural acrylic is rated good for this material as an application-level assessment, not as a blanket manufacturer claim. The prepared surface must be sound and consistently keyed where the finish permits. Suitability still depends on the other substrate, joint design and service environment.
Abrade the surface first.
Good
Two-part epoxy
Two-part epoxy is rated good for this material as an application-level assessment, not as a blanket manufacturer claim. The prepared surface must be sound and consistently keyed where the finish permits. Suitability still depends on the other substrate, joint design and service environment.
Abrade the surface first.
Last reviewed 8 October 2026.