PRACTICAL PRETREATMENTS AND DURABILITY OF ADHESIVE BONDS WITH ALUMINUM

Several easily available pretreatments for aluminium alloys have been tested to see if they have a value with respect to adhesive bonding and if their performance is alloy dependent. To evaluate this adhesively bonded jobs have been exposed to different climates for up to 28 months. The results show that acceptable joints can be obtained using these less sophisticated methods. The positive effect of applying a primer is also shown. The general conclusion is: If you need to use high strength alloys to satisfy your construction you must also use more sophisticated pretreatments aid more trained people to make the adhesive bond able to stand up to the same demands. When you don't need the high strength alloys for their strength easier obtainable pretreatments may suffice.