Optimizing Adhesion to Metal (inks, lacquers, structural adhesives...)

If you want to optimize your inks, coatings, struct. adhesives for metal bonding & avoid wasting your time on “inefficient” solutions, you need to understand what’s happening at the surface level (presence of contaminants, surface stability, interfacial / interphasial chemistry...). Few companies have dedicated staff to work on surface characterization, and if like the majority, you rely on external labs, you’d better know what surface analysis to request & how to properly interpret data !

1. Outsource your surface characterization tests confidently by knowing precisely the surface analysis techniques to choose to get the info you need
2. Adjust faster your pre-treatments & formulations by detecting factors affecting adhesion (contaminants, surface stability, interfacial / interphasial chemistry...)
3. Guide your developments with reliable data - Avoid wrong conclusions by understanding surface analysis subtleties with discussion on real cases solved by Gary Critchlow

The following sections will be covered during this session:

1. Adhesion & Importance of Surfaces
2. Major Surface Analysis Methods: A condensed review of their benefits and limits
   – AES, SIMS, XPS
   – Other relevant techniques will also be discussed briefly
3. Applications of Surface Analysis to Detect Factors Affecting Adhesion:
   – Identification of contaminants
   – Surface chemistry/structure before and after pretreatment
   – Stability of surfaces
   – Interfacial/interphasial chemistry
   – Identification of failure modes
4. Adhesion to Metal Case studies
   Particular consideration will be given to the characterization of hexavalent chromium free treatments for aluminium alloys
5. Future challenges