Chapter 6 - Material Surface Preparation Techniques

Abstract

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). The chapter has been organized to separate the sections for metallic and non-metallic (plastics and elastomers) materials. Three sections describe the surface treatment techniques of metals; the following section describes those of plastics and elastomers. Then methods to assess the effectiveness of surface treatment are addressed, and finally the last section focuses on the treatment age (i.e., the elapsed time between surface treatment and the actual bonding), which may affect the bond strength and durability.