SURFACE-TREATMENT AND ANALYSIS FOR ADHESIVE BONDING

Improper or inadequate surface treatment is one of the commonest causes of failure in adhesive bonding. On the other hand, the selection of a good surface treatment can bring marked improvements in the wet durability of adhesive bonds to metals and glasses, and can permit the bonding of otherwise difficult-to-bond materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and the polyolefins. The reasons why untreated surfaces may be unsatisfactory for adhesive bonding are that they may be contaminated, they may lack polar chemical groups or the interface they make with an adhesive may be susceptible to hydrolysis. © 1990.