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Failure characteristics of adhesively bonded aluminium for spacecraft applications
Author(s) -
Grilli Rossana,
Baker Mark A.,
Dunn Barrie,
Watts John F.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
surface and interface analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1096-9918
pISSN - 0142-2421
DOI - 10.1002/sia.2793
Subject(s) - chromate conversion coating , aluminium , coating , conversion coating , intermetallic , adhesive , materials science , alloy , x ray photoelectron spectroscopy , layer (electronics) , chromium , metallurgy , composite material , aluminium alloy , epoxy , chemical engineering , engineering
The surface characteristics of an aluminium alloy treated with a commercial chromate pretreatment have been studied by SAM, EDX, and XPS. XPS indicates that chromium is present in the conversion coating as both Cr(III) and Cr(VI) species, and that other components are present at the conversion‐coating surface, some in a reduced form. The deposition of the chromate layer is compromised of the presence of the intermetallics in the alloy, and the layer is cracked at the micrometer scale, presumably as a result of drying on removal from the bath. Failure of chromate‐treated aluminium bonded in lap‐shear configuration using a structural epoxy paste is shown to be cohesive in the adhesive but very close to the conversion coating/adhesive interface but alternating from one side of the glue line to the other. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.