Adhesive bonding composition and method of use

A curable polymer system comprising:

• an adherent structure attached to a low energy surface of an element to be bonded, said surface having a surface energy less than 50 mJ/m2;
• at least one polymerizable adhesive composition for adhesive attachment to the adherent structure;
• at least one photoinitiator responsive to a selected wavelength of light;
• and
• at least one energy converting material selected to emit said wavelength of light when exposed to an imparted radiation, wherein the imparted radiation is selected from the group consisting of x-rays, gamma rays, electron beams, proton beams, and near infrared.

An adhesive transfer member comprising:

• a release element;
• one or more rubber compounds disposed on a surface of the release element;
• and
• an energy converting material intermixed with said one or rubber compounds in the surface of the release element, wherein said energy converting material is a material that absorbs an applied energy selected from the group consisting of x-rays, gamma rays, proton beams, and electron beams and emits UVA, UVB, or visible light.

An article comprising:

• a first member;
• a second member;
• adherent structure including one or more rubber compounds attached to at least one of the first and second member;
• and
• a polymerizable adhesive composition joining the first member to the second member and including at least one photoinitiator and at least one energy converting material, wherein said energy converting material is a material that absorbs an applied energy selected from the group consisting of x-rays, gamma rays, proton beams, and electron beams and emits UVA, UVB, or visible light.

A method of adhesive bonding comprising:

• a) providing a polymerizable adhesive composition on a surface of an element to be bonded to form an assembly;
• b) irradiating the assembly with radiation at a first wavelength capable of vulcanization of bonds in the polymerizable adhesive composition by activation of a sulfur-containing compound, wherein the first wavelength is selected from at least one x-ray, e-beam, proton beam, visible, or infrared light, to thereby generate ultraviolet light in the polymerizable adhesive composition;
• and
• c) adhesively joining two or more components together by way of the polymerizable adhesive composition.

A method of adhesive bonding, comprising:

• a) providing an adherent structure including one or more rubber compounds on respective surfaces to be adhesively joined;
• b) contacting the surfaces together;
• and
• c) irradiating the adherent structure with radiation capable of directly or indirectly cross-linking the one or more rubber compounds, wherein the radiation is at least one member selected from the group consisting of x-rays, gamma rays, electron beams, proton beams, and near infrared;
• wherein contacting the surfaces together comprises:
• (i) applying the one or more rubber compounds to a release substrate;
• contacting the release substrate to one of the respective surfaces;
• and
• removing the release substrate and leaving the one or more rubber compounds disposed on said one of the respective surfaces;
• or
• (ii) applying the one or more rubber compounds to a release substrate by immersing the release substrate in a solution of the one or more rubber compounds.