Adhesive Bonding: Materials, Applications and Technology 

Authors: Walter Brockmann, Paul L. Geiß, Jürgen Klingen, Bernhard Schröder
Category (Primary): Surface Energy, Adhesion & Dyne Testing

Why this book matters in surface energy and adhesion

Achieving reliable adhesive bonding

in industrial environments requires far more than selecting the right adhesive. In many real-world failures, the root cause lies in surface properties, surface preparation, and material compatibility, rather than in the adhesive formulation itself.

Adhesive Bonding is a foundational technical reference that bridges adhesion science and industrial practice. Written by specialists from both academia and industry, the book provides a structured understanding of how materials, surfaces, and process conditions interact to determine bond performance.

For professionals working with polymer films, coated substrates, or engineered materials, this book helps explain why surface energy verification and surface treatment are critical steps before bonding, not optional checks.

🛠 Problems this book helps address

This reference is particularly useful when dealing with:

• Poor adhesion on low-surface-energy polymers such as PE and PP
• Bond failures caused by surface contamination or inadequate preparation
• Inconsistent bond strength across production runs
• Incorrect adhesive selection due to limited understanding of surface–adhesive interactions
• The gap between laboratory adhesion results and real production conditions

The book approaches adhesion as a system problem, not a single-variable issue.

👤 Who should read this book (and who should not)

Recommended for:

• Process and manufacturing engineers
• Quality and reliability managers
• Materials and polymer specialists
• Professionals involved in bonding, coating, printing, or converting processes

Not ideal for:

• Readers seeking a non-technical overview
• Beginners looking for simplified “how-to” instructions without scientific context

This is a professional-level reference, intended for applied industrial use.

🧩 Key technical concepts covered

• Fundamental adhesion mechanisms
• Influence of surface properties on bond strength
• Surface preparation and treatment methods
• Chemistry and behavior of different adhesive systems
• Design and quality assurance of adhesive joints
• Practical industrial applications and failure analysis

These concepts support a deeper understanding of why surface energy testing is a necessary verification step in adhesive bonding processes.

🔗 How this book connects to surface energy testing (Dyne Pens)

Surface energy testing is often the first practical checkpoint before adhesive bonding. Tools such as dyne pens are used to verify whether a surface has sufficient energy for proper wetting and adhesion.

This book explains the materials science behind those measurements, helping professionals understand:

• Why a surface may appear clean but still fail to bond
• How surface treatments (corona, plasma, flame) alter surface behavior
• Why surface energy verification improves bonding reliability

In this way, Adhesive Bonding provides the theoretical and practical background that makes surface energy testing a predictive tool, not just a pass/fail check.

📚 Related standards and practices

While the book focuses on adhesion principles and applications, its content aligns with industrial practices governed by:

• ISO and ASTM adhesion and surface evaluation methods
• Quality assurance procedures for bonded joints
• Process control in manufacturing, printing, and converting

🏭 Recommended for professionals working with

• Plastic films and polymer substrates
• Coated and laminated materials
• Structural and non-structural adhesive assemblies
• Packaging, converting, and industrial manufacturing environments