LSE materials include polyethylene, polypropylene, PTFE, silicones, some powder coatings and many TPEs. Standard adhesives bead on them and peel off cleanly. The options are surface treatment such as flame, plasma or corona, polyolefin primers, or special LSE-grade adhesives and tapes formulated with lower surface tension.
Bumper fascia is TPO, so it's LSE tape with the adhesion promoter wipe, nothing else will hold.
Also heard as
- low surface energy
- LSE plastic
Related terms
Surface energy
A measure of how strongly a solid surface attracts liquids, which decides whether an adhesive can wet it.
Primer
A thin first coat wiped or sprayed onto a bonding surface so the adhesive grips better or the fresh prep stays clean.
Plasma treatment
Exposing a surface to ionized gas to clean it and add reactive groups that raise its surface energy.
Adhesion promoter
A chemical, often a silane, that links an adhesive to a surface by bonding to both.