TABLE OF CONTENTS Surface treatment and preparation for adhesive bonding is complicated due to the material-specific nature of the required methods. This chapter and the next two have been arranged in a comprehensive fashion to facilitate learning and referral. This chapter describes the surface preparation and treatment techniques in a general way. The emphasis is on method rather than the specific material (adherend). Chapters 7 and 8 focus on material-specific surface treatment processes and conditions for metallic and plastic/elastomer substrates, respectively.
This chapter has been organized to separate the sections for metallic and non-metallic (plastics and elastomers) materials. Sections 6.3, 6.4, and 6.5 describe the surface treatment techniques of metals, Sec. 6.6 describes those of plastics and elastomers. Fluoroplastics are extremely difficult to treat and adhere, and are identified as a special case. Section 6.7 addresses methods to assess the effectiveness of surface treatment. Finally, Sec. 6.8 focuses on the important topic of the treatment age (i.e., the elapsed time between surface treatment and the actual bonding), which may affect the bond strength and durability.
Since adhesive bonding is a surface phenomenon, preparation prior to adhesive bonding is the keystone of success. Surface preparation (or surface pretreatment) is carried out to render adherend surfaces receptive to the development of strong, durable adhesive joints. It is desirable, although not always practical, to have the basic adherend material exposed directly to the adhesive, with no intervening layer of oxide film, paint, chromate coating, chromate-free coating, phosphate coating, or silicone...
