| Abstract: | The adsorption of a commercial adhesive and two of its major components—an amine curing agent 2,4‐toluene diisocyanate urone (TDI urone)] and an adhesive prepolymer resin diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA)]—on a hydrated aluminium surface and the hydrated surface coated with γ‐glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPS) has been investigated by x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS). The study of TDI urone adsorption indicated that adsorption was of the chemisorption type, and a specific interaction involving this molecule and the GPS immobilized on the hydrated aluminium surface was identified. From XPS and ToF‐SIMS data it was found that the types of interaction of the curing agent with the bare substrate were of the donor–acceptor type. Study of the DGEBA adsorption showed different‐shaped isotherms for the bare and the GPS‐coated substrates. It was found that the typical Langmuir isotherm type was obtained for the GPS‐coated substrate whereas no adsorption plateau was observed for the bare substrate within the concentration range studied. This resulted from a change in the conformation of the DGEBA molecule on the substrate when the concentration of DGEBA solution was increased. The bonding of DGEBA with both types of substrates was assumed to be via acid–base interactions (i.e. donor–acceptor interactions). Adsorption of the commercial adhesive on the hydrated surfaces was of BET Type IV form, rather than the simple monolayer adsorption isotherm (Langmuir type). This indicates multilayer adsorption, presumably in the pores of the hydrated substrate, as a result of a process analogous to adsorption condensation. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
