Investigation on surface treatments of CFRP and aluminum to improve fracture toughness of adhesively-bonded CFRP–aluminum joints

In this study, the role of surface treatments of CFRP (graphite/epoxy composite) and aluminum (7075-T6) on the adhesively-bonded CFRP-aluminum joints has been investigated. The CFRP was surface-treated by Ar+ ion irradiation in an oxygen environment and the aluminum was surface-treated using a DC plasma. Ar+ ion irradiation treatment was carried out at Ar+ ion dose of 1016 ions/cm2. Plasma treatment was carried out at a volume ratio of acetylene gas to nitrogen gas of 5:5 and the treatment time was 30 s. The effect of surface treatments on the fracture behavior CFRP-aluminum joints was determined from fracture tests using three different CLS (cracked lap shear) specimens: (1) untreated CFRP/untreated aluminum, (2) ion-irradiated CFRP/untreated aluminum and (3) untreated CFRP/plasma-treated aluminum. Fracture behaviors (fracture load, fracture toughness, fracture surfaces) of these three different specimens were compared. The results showed that both fracture load and fracture toughness of CFRP-aluminum joints were in the following order: ion-irradiated CFRP/untreated aluminum specimen > untreated CFRP/plasmatreated aluminum specimen > untreated CFRP/untreated aluminum specimen. SEM examination of fracture surfaces showed that fracture occurred as an interfacial failure for untreated specimens. On the other hand, a cohesive failure in the adhesive was the primary fracture mode for specimens surface-treated by ion irradiation or plasma.