KEYNOTE OVERVIEW ON SURFACE TREATMENT FOR ADHESIVE BONDING

Improper or inadequate surface treatment is one of the commonest causes of failure in adhesive bonding, but 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 unbondable materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene (ptfe) and the polyolefins. Untreated surfaces may be unsatisfactory for adhesive bonding because they may be contaminated, may lack polar chemical groups or the interface they make with an adhesive may be susceptible to hydrolysis. (Author/TRRL)