Surface treatment of wire and cable to improve adhesion of overmolded connectors and grommets

摘要

Although XLPE and XL Polyester type wire insulations have superior performance in many aspects, it is often difficult to get materials typically used in connectors and grommets to adhere satisfactorily. One possible method for improving adhesion between wire insulation/jacket materials and overmolded grommets or connectors is to pre-treat the wire surface with an adhesion aid that is compatible with both materials. This report reviews a systematic study of adhesion between insulation/jacket materials and common overmolding materials. Overmolding materials included in the study are PVC, TPU, TPE and Nylon. A wide array of adhesion promoters were also investigated including an acrylated urethane, chemically reactive adhesives, an amino functional silane based adhesion promoter, and a water based chlorinated polyolefin adhesion promoter. All experiments were done on injection molded plaques. No single adhesion promoter worked in every case, but for all insulation/overmold combinations at least one successful adhesion promoter was found.