Evaluation of the electron beam as a surface structuring alternative to improve metal-polymer interfacial strength in polycarbonate and alluminum alloy aa6061-t6 joints produced by direct adhesion injection over-molding

Abstract

The electron beam EB surface structuring (EBSS) technology is a promising alternative to the other traditional surface structuring processes used to produce metal-polymer hybrid joints, offering a full controllability of the surface microstructure designed, improving the interfacial adhesion of polymer-metal hybrid joints. The main objective of this abroad internship project is to evaluate the feasibility of EBSS as a metal surface structuring process to produce high-strength polycarbonate (PC) and aluminum alloy AA6061-T6 hybrid joints through direct-adhesion injection over-molding. The internship will be held at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) in Austria, under the supervision of the Prof. Sergio de Traglia Amancio Filho. The EBSS process parameters - e.g. beam current, beam frequency, number of scans and velocity - will be investigated in order to create different features in the AA6061-T6 surface and the. A preliminary study will be performed to assess the EBSS processing window on the surface structuring of AA6061-T6, which will be followed by exploitation of the possibilities of features that can be produced by the EBSS - e.g. grooves, pins, hexagons, squares, concentric circles. The aluminum surfaces created will be microstructurally characterized by Optical Microscopy (OM). The surfaces wettability - an important property to estimate AA 6061-T6 proneness to PC interfacial adhesion - will be evaluated by wettability angle measurement of each feature created, leading to an understanding of the correlation between the electron beam surface structured feature and their potential to be employed in the injection overmolding process. This abroad internship project is deeply associated with the research held in Brazil and will enlighten even further the technologies currently available to produce high-strength PC/AA6061-T6 hybrid joints. (AU)