Adhesion enhancement between aluminum and butyl rubber by (3-mercaptopropyl) trimethoxy silane for vibration damping plate

A silane coupling agent for an aluminum-based vibrational damping plate with a butyl rubber damper, which shows excellent viscoelasticity and thermal stability, was studied to enhance the adhesion strength between aluminum and butyl rubber. Considering the chemical structure of the butyl rubber, we introduced (3-mercaptopropyl) trimethoxysilane (MPTMS) as the silane coupling agent because it has a thiol functional group that can bind to the carbon chain of butyl rubber via thiol-ene reaction under heating. Based on the results of various surface analyses and the T-peel strength test, the MPTMS treatment condition was optimized, and a 180% enhancement of peel strength was obtained. Finally, a central supporting vibration test was conducted to prove the damping performance of aluminum damping plated with MPTMS. As a result, a 7-fold enhancement in the damping loss factor was seen in the damping with MPTMS compared to without.