Standard Practice for Preparation of Surfaces of Plastics Prior to Adhesive Bonding

1.1 This practice describes surface preparations for plastic adherends, to be used prior to adhesive bonding of test specimens. It should be noted, however, that this practice specifies only the pretreating conditions of the plastic and does not cover the preparation of test specimens, testing conditions, or evaluation of tests. These are covered in the various ASTM test methods or specifications for specific materials.

1.2 Physical Treatments (for example, sanding and solvent wiping) are used in order to remove the glossy finish and all traces of dirt, grease, mold release, or other contaminants from the bonding surfaces.

1.3 Chemical Treatments (for example, sulfuric acid-dichromate solution and sodium naphthalene complex) are used in some cases to alter chemically the surface layers of the polymer itself to improve its adhesion characteristics.

1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety problems, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of whoever uses this standard to consult and establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. >Specific precautionary statements are given in 6.1.