Enhanced Adhesion over Aluminum Solid Substrates by Controlled Atmospheric Plasma Deposition of Amine-Rich Primers

Controlled chemical modification of aluminum surface is carried by atmospheric plasma polymerization of allylamine. The amine-rich coatings are characterized and tested for their behavior as adhesion promoter. The adhesion strength of aluminum-epoxy assemblies is shown to increase according to primary amino group content and coating thickness, which in turn can be regulated by plasma power parameters, allowing tailoring the coating chemical properties. The increase in adherence can be correlated to the total and primary amino group contents in the film, indicating covalent bonding of epoxy groups to the primer as the basis of the mechanical improvement.