DEVELOPMENT OF NONCHEMICAL PROCESSES FOR ADHESIVE BONDING

CURRENT TREATMENTS OF METAL SURFACES FOR ADHESIVE BONDING ARE PRIMARILY BASED ON CHEMICAL PROCESSES. THE MAIN PROBLEM OF CHEMICAL PROCESSESS IS THE USE OF TOXIC OR HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, SUCH AS STRONG ACIDS, VOLATILE CHEMICALS AND CHROMATES. ANOTHER PROBLEM IS RELATED TO THE LOW THERMAL STABILITY OF THE ADHESIVE BOND DUE TO FORMATION OF HYDRATES IN THE CHEMICALLY GROWN OXIDE FILMS. THIS WORK WILL DEVELOP NOVEL NONCHEMICAL PROCESSESS FOR SURFACE TREATMENT OF TITANIUM (6A14V), COPPER AND ALUMINUM (2024 AND 7075) ALLOYS. PHASE I WORK WILL DEMONSTRATE SPECIFIC PHYSICAL PROCESSES THAT COULD YIELD EXCELLENT ADHESIVE BOND STRENGTH AND THERMAL STABILITY FOR TITANIUM AND ALUMINUM. PHASE II WILL INVOLVE OPTIMIZATION OF THE PROCESSESS DEVELOPED IN TERMS OF SPEED, UNIFORMITY AND COST EFFECTIVENESS OF SURFACE PREPARATION IN PHASE I TO TITANIUM, COPPER, AND OTHER ALUMINUM ALLOYS. PHASE III WILL INVOLVE COMMERCIALIZATION OF THE TREATMENTS DEVELOPED TO REPLACE EXISTING CHEMICAL BASE PROCESSING.