Abstract
Adhesive bonding is a commonly used technique to join different parts or structures. The bonding is attributed surface adhesion. Adhesion is defined by the ASTM [1] as “the state in which two surfaces are held together by interfacial forces which consist of valence force or interlocking action or both.” Both of these are highly dependent on the surface conditions, which makes the surface preparation very critical to the performance of adhesive bonding.
Obtaining a strong adhesive bond requires various considerations. Wegman and Levi [2] describe several key steps of adhesive bonding that are summarized here: receiving materials, knowledge of the fabrication process for the parts, mating the parts to be bonded, and surface preparation. Among all these steps, surface preparation is usually the most critical, complex, and frequently neglected step in the bonding sequence. Surface preparation can remove the intermediate surface, paint, rust or oxide layer. Different materials including adherents, adhesives, and chemicals require different surface preparation techniques but in general, the surface preparation needs to consider the cleanliness, roughness, and functionality of the surface.
Adhesive bonding techniques specific to Aluminum and Copper are highlighted.
