The Gorilla, Loctite, Krazy Glue and Titebond super glues below all rule out polyethylene and polypropylene, except Loctite’s Plastics Bonding System, which bonds them with its activator. Most also name foam, silicone rubber or Teflon.
Each super glue’s list
| Super glue | Won’t bond, or not recommended | From |
|---|---|---|
| Gorilla Super Glue Gel | Polyethylene, polypropylene “or similar materials” | Product page |
| Loctite Super Glue Gel Control | Styrofoam, foam rubber, bone china, glass, glazed surfaces, silicone rubber, polyethylene, polypropylene, PTFE (Teflon); jobs that need high flexibility | Product page and data sheet |
| Loctite Glass Glue | Polyethylene, polypropylene, PTFE, silicone or foam rubber, polystyrene foams, pure bone china | Data sheet |
| Loctite Super Glue Plastics Bonding System | Polystyrene foam, foam rubber, glass, very soft leathers, pure bone china, silicone rubber, glazed surfaces | Data sheet (it bonds polyethylene, polypropylene and PTFE with its activator) |
| Krazy Glue | Paper, foam, rearview mirrors, polyethylene, polypropylene, Teflon and other fluorocarbons | Krazy Glue FAQ |
| Titebond Instant Bond | Foam, polyethylene, polypropylene; not for continuous water submersion or rear view mirrors | Titebond FAQ |
| J-B Weld SuperWeld | Nothing on its own page; J-B Weld’s FAQ says most of its products won’t bond well to flexible rubber, canvas, polypropylene, polyethylene, leather or vinyl | Product page and brand FAQ |
From each product’s page, data sheet or FAQ. SuperWeld’s own page lists rubber, cloth and glass, so J-B Weld’s brand-wide FAQ line and its product page disagree on rubber and cloth.
Where the makers disagree
- Paper: Gorilla Super Glue Gel and Loctite Gel Control list paper, while Krazy Glue’s FAQ says Krazy Glue doesn’t bond well with it.
- Glass: Loctite rules out glass for Gel Control and the Plastics Bonding System and makes Glass Glue for it; J-B Weld lists glass for SuperWeld.
- Rubber: Loctite Gel Control lists rubber but rules out foam rubber and silicone rubber.
- Outdoors, for one product: the Plastics Bonding System’s page calls it weatherproof, but its data sheet says it isn’t suitable for exterior use. We go by the data sheet.
Why polyethylene and polypropylene fail
Gorilla says its super glue needs some absorbed moisture on the surfaces to cure, and that polyethylene and polypropylene have little to no moisture and won’t form good bonds. Krazy Glue’s FAQ says water vapor on surfaces and in the air triggers its bond. Loctite’s Plastics Bonding System gets around it with an activator: two coats on both surfaces, left to dry and react for 1 minute before the glue goes on. Loctite recommends the activator only for hard-to-bond plastics such as polyethylene, polypropylene, PTFE, acrylic (PMMA) and polycarbonate. More on gluing polypropylene.
Jobs, not surfaces
Loctite says Gel Control isn’t for the dishwasher, oven or microwave, or for filling gaps, and its Glass Glue needs close-fitting parts with no gaps. Gorilla rates its Super Glue Gel for indoor use and not for gap filling. Titebond’s FAQ says acidic surfaces, such as woods with dark tannic acids and some leathers and metals, can slow Instant Bond’s cure, and suggests its activator.
Loctite’s Gel Control data sheet says to work in a well-ventilated area and to wear nitrile gloves, not PVC, nylon or cotton ones, because skin contact may cause burns. Its safety data sheet warns that it bonds skin in seconds.
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