An alternative to phosphate pre-treatments for use in rubber bonding

摘要

A new ferrous substrate pre-treatment is available for rubber bonding applications that offers processing and environmental advantages for the user.This new coating is zirconium-based and contains no constituents in the formulation such as zinc or phosphates that may be covered by local,state and/or federal regulations.Operating conditions for the bath are similar to traditional phosphate baths,using either a spray or immersion application after the substrates has been cleaned and rinsed.Compared to traditional phosphate baths,operating baths operate for longer periods of time before dumping is required.Also,because this coating is resistant to flash rusting,no post sealer rinse is necessary.In tests designed to evaluate the adhesion of rubber to pre-treated steel samples to be used for seals and anti-vibration mounts,the new coating performed as well as various phosphate coatings.Therefore,this new environmentally compliant coating can easily be used to replace existing phosphate treatments and provide a longer bath life requiring only minor processing changes in the pre-treatment line.