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. 2024 Jul 18;14(31):22627-22641.
doi: 10.1039/d4ra03187c. eCollection 2024 Jul 12.

Surface pre-treatment of aluminum alloy for mechanical improvement of adhesive bonding by maple-assisted pulsed laser evaporation technique

Edina Rusen  1 , Oana Brîncoveanu  2   3 , Valentina Dincă  4 , Gabriela Toader  5 , Aurel Diacon  1   5 , Miron Adrian Dinescu  2 , Alexandra Mocanu  1   2
Affiliations

Surface pre-treatment of aluminum alloy for mechanical improvement of adhesive bonding by maple-assisted pulsed laser evaporation technique

Edina Rusen et al. RSC Adv. .

Abstract

Adhesive joints are widely used for structural bonding in various industrial sectors. The performance of bonded joints is commonly attributed to the cleanliness of the substrate and the pre-treatment of the surfaces to be bonded. In this study, the Matrix Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation (MAPLE) deposition technique was used for surface modification of aluminum (Al) plates by the deposition of poly(propylene glycol) bis(2-aminopropyl ether) (PPG-NH2) of different number average molecular weights (Mn) of 400 g mol-1, 2000 g mol-1, and 4000 g mol-1, respectively. Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis indicated the characteristic peaks for the deposited layers of PPG-NH2 of different molecular weights in all cases while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed continuous layers on the surface of Al plates. In order to demonstrate alterations in the wettability of Al substrates, a crucial aspect in surface treatment and adhesive bonding, measurements of contact angles, surface free energies (SFE), and adhesion work (W a) were conducted. The tensile strength measurements were performed using the lap-joint test after applying the commercial silyl-based polymer adhesive Bison Max Repair Extreme Adhesive®. It was evidenced that at higher values of the SFE and W a, the tensile strength was almost 3 times higher for PPG-NH2 with Mn = 4000 g mol-1 compared with the untreated Al sample. This study provides valuable insights into the successful application of the MAPLE technique as a pre-treatment method for reinforcing adhesive bonding of Al plates, which can lead to improved mechanical performance in various industrial applications.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Pre-treated Al plates subjected to deposition using MAPLE technique with PPG-NH2 compounds of different molecular weights.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. FTIR spectra of Al-PPG-NH2-400, Al-PPG-NH2-2000, and Al-PPG-NH2-4000.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3. SEM micrographs at 2 μm, and 500 nm scale for Al blank (a, and b), Al-PPG-NH2-400 (c, and d), Al-PPG-NH2-2000 (e, and f), and Al-PPG-NH2-4000 (g, and h).
Fig. 4
Fig. 4. EDX spectra and mapping of PPG-NH2-400 layer deposited on Al plates; the scale bar is 50 μm.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5. EDX spectra and mapping of PPG-NH2-2000 layer deposited on Al plates.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6. EDX spectra and mapping of PPG-NH2-4000 layer deposited on Al plates.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7. Tensile test measurements for Al (blank), Al-PPG-NH2-400, Al-PPG-NH2-2000, and Al-PPGNH2-4000 samples bonded by Bison Max Repair Extreme Adhesive®.
Fig. 8
Fig. 8. Energy and ‘in-plane’ stiffness of the Al – blank and MAPLE-assisted PPGNH2 pre-treated Al adhesive joints.
Fig. 9
Fig. 9. Post-fracture SEM micrographs in different areas for blank (a, and b), PPG-NH2-400 (c, and d), PPG-NH2-2000 (e, and f), and PPG-NH2-4000 (g, and h) specimens.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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