This guide covers procedures for preparing various wrought metal surfaces for adhesive bonding. Surface treatment methods involving both mechanical and chemical techniques are included for aluminum alloys, stainless steel, carbon steel, titanium alloys, magnesium alloys, and copper and copper alloys. For aluminum alloys: vapor or non-etching alkaline degreasing; sulfuric acid-sodium dichromate or sulfuric acid-ferric sulfate solution etching; phosphoric and sulfuric acid anodizing; propriety cleaning; secondary bonding; brush plate bond etching; mechanical abrasion; electrochemical cleaning; and anodic etching may be used. For stainless steel: mechanical methods such as wire brushing, rubbing with metal wool, hand sanding, and dry sand, grit, or vapor blast honing; etching using sulfuric-nitric-hydrofluoric, hydrochloric-orthosphosphoric-hydrofluoric, sulfuric-sodium dichromate, sodium metasilicate, and hydrochloric-sulfuric-dichromate acid solutions; and vigorous scouring with wet cloth and commercial household cleaner may be used. Same mechanical methods as that employed in stainless steel and chemical etching by nitric-phosphoric acid solution may be used for carbon steel preparation. For titanium alloys: mechanical abrasion; hydrochloric-orthophosphoric-hydrofluoric acid solution etching; and chromic acid or fluoride anodizing may be used. Surface preparation for magnesium alloys which is closely associated with corrosion prevention shall involve vapor, alkaline-detergent solution, chromic acid, and sodium hydroxide acid degreasing; anodic treatment; and the use of conversion coatings and wash primers. Nitric acid-ferric chloride solution degreasing; sulfuric acid-dichromate-ferric sulfate solution etching; and chemical treatment by nitric-acid-sodium chlorite solutions may be used for copper and copper alloy preparation.

1.1 This guide covers procedures that have proved satisfactory for preparing various wrought metal surfaces for adhesive bonding. It does not address the preparation of cast metals.

1.2 Surface preparation methods are included for:

1.3 Procedures included herein are based on the commercial practice of numerous agencies and organizations. The methods may be revised or supplemented, as necessary, to include methods based on proven performance.

1.4 The surface preparation of metal systems used for qualification and quality control testing of the adhesive should be agreed upon by both manufacturer and user.

1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.

1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.