Adhesion, surface analysis

The surface chemical analysis methods of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) are introduced in O Chap. 9. The aim of the current chapter is to review the use of these techniques in adhesion science research paying particular attention to the contribution that they have to make toward unraveling the interfacial chemistry of adhesion. Surface analysis has been applied to adhesion investigations for more than three decades with a great deal of success, and their application in this field can be divided into three distinct areas ... 

XPS has been used in almost every area in which the properties of surfaces are important. The most prominent areas can be deduced from conferences on surface analysis, especially from ECASIA, which is held every two years. These areas are adhesion, biomaterials, catalysis, ceramics and glasses, corrosion, environmental problems, magnetic materials, metals, micro- and optoelectronics, nanomaterials, polymers and composite materials, superconductors, thin films and coatings, and tribology and wear. The contributions to these conferences are also representative of actual surface-analytical problems and studies [2.33 a,b]. A few examples from the areas mentioned above are given below more comprehensive discussions of the applications of XPS are given elsewhere [1.1,1.3-1.9, 2.34—2.39]. 

Surface analysis has made enormous contributions to the field of adhesion science. It enabled investigators to probe fundamental aspects of adhesion such as the composition of anodic oxides on metals, the surface composition of polymers that have been pretreated by etching, the nature of reactions occurring at the interface between a primer and a substrate or between a primer and an adhesive, and the orientation of molecules adsorbed onto substrates. Surface analysis has also enabled adhesion scientists to determine the mechanisms responsible for failure of adhesive bonds, especially after exposure to aggressive environments. The objective of this chapter is to review the principals of surface analysis techniques including attenuated total reflection (ATR) and reflection-absorption (RAIR) infrared spectroscopy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and to present examples of the application of each technique to important problems in adhesion science. 

From the preceding discussion, it is evident that surface analysis techniques have contributed greatly to the understanding of adhesion related phenomena. Surface analysis has made it possible for adhesion scientists to determine the composition... 

A number of techniques are available for determining the composition of a solid surface. Since the surface plays an important role in many processes, such as oxidation, discoloration, wear, and adhesion, these techniques have gained importance. The choice of a surface analysis technique depends upon such important considerations as sampling depth, surface information, analysis environment, and sample suitability. Different... 

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