Strength degradation in γ‐aminopropyl triethoxy silane primed α‐Al 2 O 3 /nylon 6 peel joints in a wet environment

Unprimed sapphire/nylon 6 peel joints (2.13 ± 0.27 Kg/cm) are found to be stronger than sapphire/polyethylene joints (0.06 ± 0.02 Kg/cm). Priming the sapphire with γ‐aminopropyl triethoxy silane (γ‐APS) improves the strength significantly resulting in adherend failure in the nylon. The rate and extent of degradation is lower with priming. The optimal silane thickness is about 1900 Å, obtained with a 0.3 percent γ‐APS solution, for a five day exposure to water at 25°C. Peel joints made with 0.3 percent γ‐APS film, both dried at 25°C (standard conditions) and dehydrated at 110°C under vacuum, fail cohesively when exposed at 25°C. Increasing the exposure to 55°C in a second step results in strength degradation only with dehydrated films. Lower joint strengths are obtained with five days exposure as compared to one day exposure. However, if the temperature is raised to 65°C the joints primed with standard dried films now begin to degrade and lose 90 percent of their strength in five days. Further, the nylon 6 peel joints made with a 0.3 percent γ‐APS film, dehydrated for three days prior to lamination, show 10 times greater wet strengths than the corresponding PE joints. Failure surface analyses by ESCA and SEM suggest that failure locus due to water degradation is within the γ‐APS layer and the failure mode is cohesive. Failure mechanics during testing the wet peel joints may also cause a partial interfacial failure mode. The effects of the silane film thickness, dehydration condition, time, and temperature dependence of the peel strength degradation indicates that the structure of the γ‐APS layer plays an important role in the promotion and retention of adhesion with a thermoplastic polymer system capable of limited primary interactions through possible interdiffusion with the silane layer.