Metal-to-polymer bonding using an adhesive based on epoxides

A process of bonding a metal substrate to a non-halogenated polymer, involving the steps of

• i) applying an epoxy-based adhesive to the metal or the non-halogenated polymer,
• ii) mating the metal substrate and the non-halogenated polymer, and
• iii) allowing the epoxy-based adhesive to cure,
• wherein the epoxy-based adhesive comprises
• a) one or more monomers, resins or prepolymers with epoxy groups
• b) an initiator component comprising at least one salt of a metal ion M in an oxidation state of n which has a standard reduction potential E0M more positive than the standard reduction potential of the surface of the metal substrate, the standard reduction potential E0M being either the standard reduction potential for the reduction of the metal ion M from its oxidation state of n to the oxidation state of zero or from its oxidation state of n to an oxidation state of m, m being smaller than n but higher than zero.