Adhesive Failure Analysis

Adhesive failures can have three sources:

  1. Inadequate surface preparation is most common. Oils, dirt or surfactant residues all can cause an adhesive bonding failure.
  2. A cohesive failure of the adhesive suggests that the adhesive used was not up to the job. Was it prepared/mixed properly? Was it adulterated in some way?
  3. Was the right type of adhesive used? Has the supplier altered the product?

All of these possibilities can generally be determined using FTIR spectroscopy.

Common questions related to adhesive failure analysis:

  • Is the failure adhesive or cohesive?
  • If the failure is adhesive, which surface was left exposed on failure?
  • If the failure is cohesive, is there contamination at the failure site?
  • Was the adhesive applied to the proper thickness?
  • Was the adhesive the proper composition?
  • Had the material been annealed?