In the present paper, the following topics are reviewed in detail: (a) the available adhesives, as well as their recent advances, (b) thermodynamic factors affecting the surface pretreatments including adhesion theories, wettability, surface energy, (c) bonding mechanisms in the adhesive joints, (d) surface pretreatment methods for the adhesively bonded joints, and as well as their recent advances, and (e) combined effects of surface pretreatments and environmental conditions on the joint durability and performance. Surface pretreatment is, perhaps, the most important process step governing the quality of an adhesively bonded joint. An adhesive is defined as a polymeric substance with viscoelastic behavior, capable of holding adherends together by surface attachment to produce a joint with a high shear strength. Adhesive bonding is the most suitable method of joining both for metallic and non-metallic structures where strength, stiffness and fatigue life must be maximized at a minimum weight. Polymeric adhesives may be used to join a large variety of materials combinations including metal-metal, metal-plastic, metal-composite, composite-composite, plastic-plastic, metal-ceramic systems. Wetting and adhesion are also studied in some detail in the present paper since the successful surface pretreatments of the adherends for the short- and long-term durability and performance of the adhesive joints mostly depend on these factors. Wetting of the adherends by the adhesive is critical to the formation of secondary bonds in the adsorption theory. It has been theoretically verified that for complete wetting (i.e., for a contact angle θ equal to zero), the surface energy of the adhesive must be lower than the surface energy of the adherend. Therefore, the primary objective of a surface pretreatment is to increase the surface energy of the adherend as much as possible. The influence of surface pretreatment and aging conditions on the short- and long-term strength of adhesive bonds should be taken into account for durability design. Some form of substrate pretreatment is always necessary to achieve a satisfactory level of long-term bond strength. In order to improve the performance of adhesive bonds, the adherends surfaces (i.e., metallic or non-metallic) are generally pretretead using the (a) physical, (b) mechanical, (c) chemical, (d) photochemical, (e) thermal, or (e) plasma method. Almost all pretreatment methods do bring some degree of change in surface roughness but mechanical surface pretreatment such as grit-blasting is usually considered as one of the most effective methods to control the desired level of surface roughness and joint strength. Moreover, the overall effect of mechanical surface treatment is not limited to the removal of contamination or to an increase in surface area. This also relates to changes in the surface chemistry of adherends and to inherent drawbacks of surface roughness, such as void formations and reduced wetting. Suitable surface pretreatment increases the bond strength by altering the substrate surface in a number of ways including (a) increasing surface tension by producing a surface free from contaminants (i.e., surface contamination may cause insufficient wetting by the adhesive in the liquid state for the creating of a durable bond) or removal of the weak cohesion layer or of the pollution present at the surface, (b) increasing surface roughness on changing surface chemistry and producing of a macro/microscopically rough surface, (c) production of a fresh stable oxide layer, and (d) introducing suitable chemical composition of the oxide, and (e) introduction of new or an increased number of chemical functions. All these parameters can contribute to an improvement of the wettability and/or of the adhesive properties of the surface.

Adhesively-bonded joints and repairs in metallic alloys, polymers and composite materials: Adhesives, adhesion theories and surface pretreatment

Interfaces and interphases in multicomponent materials: past, present, future

The weathering of polymers is reviewed with attention concentrated on the mechanisms of degradation and stabilization, the methods of testing weatherability, and the predictive modelling of weathering behaviour. An introduction to the chemical mechanisms of degradation and stabilization is given and reference made to some of the many reviews available in the literature. Significant emphasis is placed here on engineering aspects, such as the way that weathering influences fracture mechanisms. The difficulties associated with relating accelerated laboratory tests with outdoor service behaviour are discussed. The complexities of the degradation processes limit modelling of the rate of degradation to rather specific systems and the predictions cannot be generalized.

Weathering of polymers: mechanisms of degradation and stabilization, testing strategies and modelling

The hardness and elastic modulus of the cellulose fiber and polypropylene (PP) matrix in a cellulose fiber-reinforced PP composite were investigated by nanoindentation with a continuous stiffness technique. Nanoindentation with different indentation depths and spacings was conducted to measure hardness and elastic modulus in the interphase region, which was modified by maleic anhydride-grafted PP and γ-amino propyltrimethoxy silane (γ-APS) sizing. A line of indents was produced from the fiber to the matrix. There was a gradient of hardness and modulus across the interphase region. The distinct properties of the transition zone were revealed by 1–4 indents, depending on nanoindentation depth and spacing. Based on the results of nanoindentation, it was assumed that the width of the property transition zone is less than 1 μm. However, three dimensional finite element analysis shows that even a perfect interface without property transition has almost same interphase width as that measured by nanoindentation. Using existing nanoindentation techniques, it will be difficult to calculate exact mechanical properties without the effect of neighboring material property in at least 8 times smaller region than indent size.

Evaluation of interphase properties in a cellulose fiber-reinforced polypropylene composite by nanoindentation and finite element analysis

The use of the atomic force microscope (AFM) to measure surface forces has been developed to optimize its operation as a surface imaging tool. This capability can potentially be extended to evaluate nanoscale material response to indentation and would be ideal for the evaluation of multi-component polymer systems, such as adhesives and composites. In this paper, previous work related to the development of the AFM as a nanoindentation device is reviewed, and a technique is proposed which allows the AFM to be used to probe local stiffness changes in polymer systems. Cantilever probes with spring constants ranging from 0.4–150 N m were used to investigate a number of polymer systems, including an elastomer, several polyurethane systems, thermally cured epoxies, a thermoplastic polymer-thermosetting polymer adhesive system, and a thermoplastic matrix composite.

Nanoscale Indentation of Polymer Systems Using the Atomic Force Microscope

The mechanical properties of the material surrounding a single carbon fiber in an epoxy matrix have been studied. Properties were determined within 100 nm of the fiber. A pronounced soft interphase was revealed adjacent to the fiber. A single fiber was embedded in a small supported disk of epoxy matrix. The fiber was loaded in tension. Examination of the surface displacements in the resin revealed that the matrix material within 250 nm of the fiber was substantially softer than the matrix far from the fiber. This interphase material was active in creep. Measurement of indentation properties of the matrix around a single fiber showed that the material close to the fiber exhibited an apparent high modulus due to restriction by the fiber. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Properties of the interphase in organic matrix composites

Formation of the interphase in organic-matrix composites

In organic matrix composites the properties of the matrix in the vicinity of the reinforcing fiber are of interest [1]. It has been suggested that a volume of material surrounding the fiber is significantly different from the bulk matrix [2–6]. Recent work has indicated that the interphase layer may be softer than the normal matrix material [6]. For a model composite with a single fiber embedded in an epoxy/amine matrix this layer was observed to be about 500nm thick and the material had an average elastic modulus of about 1/4 of that of the normal matrix material. The objective of the present work is to observe the effect of fiber treatment on the elastic properties of the interphase.

M.R. James

Papers

Properties of the interphase in organic matrix composites

Formation of the interphase in organic-matrix composites

Elastic Modulus of the Interphase in Organic Matrix Composites