Effect of surface pretreatment on the performance of adhesive-bonded joints

This paper presents a systematic investigation of the influence of sandblasting pretreatment parameters on the surface roughness and mechanical characteristics of adhesive-bonded joints. The preliminary surface treatment in a bonding process has two important aims: first of all, it eliminates contaminants (dust, grease, humidity and corrosion products) which can modify the wettability of the substrate, then it increases surface roughness and, consequently, the contact area between substrate and adhesive, creating a mechanical interlocking that maximizes adhesion. To enhance the strength and avoid the de-adhesive failure of the joint, it is therefore advisable to increase the contact substrate-adhesive by a mechanical treatment of sanding, grinding or preferably sandblasting, usually considered one of the most effective methods to control the desired level of surface roughness and joint strength. This process, apparently easy to manage, is controlled by a great number of operating parameters, which all contribute to creating a good result. With the aim of evaluating the influence that some of these parameters have on the mechanical characteristics of adhesive-bonded joints, an experimental campaign was carried out. In particular, a steel substrate, an epoxy adhesive and various types of sand, different in nature and granulometry were used. The variable parameters for the execution of blasting are sand, impact angle and pressure. The assessments departed from an investigation into their effect on surface roughness and thereafter the mechanical properties of the bonded joints were analyzed.