EPSRC logo

Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/A00164/01
Title: AF: PLASMA POLYMERS FOR PROMOTION OF ADHESION DURABILI TY & FUNDAMENTAL UNDERSTANDING OF BONDING OF ALUMINIU
Principal Investigator: Alexander, Professor MR
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Corrosion and Protection Centre
Organisation: UMIST
Scheme: Advanced Fellowship (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 April 2000 Ends: 30 September 2003 Value (£): 109,087
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Materials Characterisation
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Aerospace, Defence and Marine Manufacturing
Transport Systems and Vehicles
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
Plasma polymers (PP) of controlled chemistry will be developed to promote adhesion to aluminium. This environmentally friendly technology for the fabrication of strong and durable components will be readily applied to the solution of engineering problems in the automotive and aerospace industries. Research from the composites field as well as work in progress by the applicant on aluminium suggest that carboxylic acid plasma polymer coatings are well suited to adhesion promotion.Advanced analytical techniques will be used to characterise the chemistry and topography of the plasma polymer and aluminium oxide surface. The plasma deposition process parameters and plasma pre-treatment will be used to engineer the chemistry and topography of coating on aluminium. The mechanical performance of adhesively bonded aluminium joints, fabricated using such PP coatings, will be optimised by careful control of the chemistry at the PP-A1 oxide and PP-adhesive interfaces. Imaging chemical surface analysis fractography will be used in combination with mechanical testing to assess bond performance.Various factors are postulated to contribute to interfacial bond strength. The application of conformal PP to delineate the contribution of roughness and chemistry will be investigated. Chemisorption of resin species onto stable functionalised plasma polymer surfaces will be used to model buried interphases and determine the mechanisms chemical bonding using surface analysis techniques. Thus, an understanding of the chemical interactions of adhesives with highly functional surfaces, and the relative importance of such interactions will be obtained.It is anticipated that the combination of understanding of the bonding mechanisms at the PP-A1 oxide and PP-adhesive interfaces, as well as and the development of plasma polymers for adhesion promotion would represent a significant advance in the technology of adhesive bonding.
Key Findings
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Potential use in non-academic contexts
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Summary
Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Project URL:  
Further Information:  
Organisation Website: