Technical > Material Properties

The property that makes something stick well to one surface and not to another surface is called the Surface Energy. Here’s a list of some common materials and a general classification of their surface energies, along with rough guides to their surface energies (measured in dynes/cm):

METALS

Copper	1103
Tin	526
Glass	250-500
Aluminium	840
Lead	458
Zinc	753
Stainless Steel	700-1100

LOW SURFACE ENERGY PLASTICS

Kapton	50
Alkyd, Enamel	45
Polyurethane Paint	43
PVC	39
Polane Paint	38
Phenolic	47
Polyester	43
ABS	42
Noryl	38
Nylon	46
Epoxy Paint	43
Polycarbonate	42
Acrylic	38

HIGH SURFACE ENERGY PLASTICS

PVA	37
EVA	38
Teldar	28
Polystyrene	36
Polyethylene	31
Teflob	18
Acetal	36
Polypropylene	29

Remember that these values are only a guide and may vary depending on the exact material formulations.

Kapton®, Teldar® & Teflon® are registered trademarks of Dupont Corp.
Noryl® is a registered trademark of General Electric Co.
Polane® is a registered trademark of Sherwin-Williams Co.

So, you can see how different materials will be easier to stick things to than others. Does that mean that there are

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