Chapter 6 - Surface analysis in adhesion science

Abstract

Surface analysis has made enormous contributions to the field of adhesion science. It enabled investigators to probe the fundamental aspects of adhesion—such as (1) the composition of anodic oxides on metals, (2) the surface composition of polymers that have been pretreated by etching, (3) the nature of reactions occurring at the interface between a primer and a substrate or between a primer and an adhesive, and (4) the orientation of molecules adsorbed onto substrates. Surface analysis has also enabled adhesion scientists to determine the mechanisms that are responsible for the failure of adhesive bonds, especially after exposure to aggressive environments. This chapter reviews the principles of surface analysis techniques including (1) attenuated total reflection (ATR) and reflection-absorption (RAIR) infrared spectroscopy, (2) X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), (3) Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and (4) secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). It presents examples of the application of each technique to important problems in adhesion science. Infrared spectroscopy, including Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, is one of the oldest techniques used for surface analysis. ATR has been used for many years to probe the surface composition of polymers that have been surface modified by an etching process or by deposition of a film. RAIR has been widely used to characterize thin films on the surfaces of specular reflecting substrates.