5 - Material Surface Preparation Techniques

Abstract

This chapter discusses surface preparation and treatment techniques for adhesive bonding. Preparation prior to adhesive bonding is the basis of successful bonding. Surface preparation, also known as surface pretreatment, is carried out to render adherend surfaces receptive to the development of strong, durable adhesive joints. Proper surface preparation also ensures that the weakest link in an adhesive joint exists within the adhesive or organic material layer and not at its interface within the adherend. Plasma treatment for cleaning of the contaminants and surface modifications are used in various applications. This produces the new functional surfaces, for thermally sensitive substrates can be used for treatment. There are also significant techniques available for the treatment of plastic surfaces to enhance adhesion including corona, flame and plasma treatment, and chemical etching, all of which serve to increase the surface energy of plastics. Furthermore, the effectiveness of surface preparation can be determined by measuring the bond strength and determining the mode of the failure of the adhesive joint.