PNNL

Abstract

Vibrational spectroscopic technique has been utilized to investigate interfacial bonding chemistry of two epoxy adhesive products, XP0012 and XP5005F, on plasma-treated AA6061 and carbon fiber-reinforced polyamide 66 (CFRP-PA66) surfaces. The change in vibrational peak ratios was measured by attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy to deduce bonding mechanisms. Both adhesives showed strong crosslinking polymerization of hydroxyl- and amine-initiated epoxy ring opening on AA6061 surface, but on CFRP surface XP0012 formed a simple amide linkage by the reaction of surface hydroxyl groups and nitrile groups of curing agent, and XP5005F formed a crosslinked network by hydroxyl-initiated epoxy ring opening polymerization. The different interfacial bonding formation of two adhesives on CFRP-PA66 surface is attributed to additive effect. Addition of additives to epoxy adhesives (XP5005F) changed the interfacial bonding mechanism on CFRP-PA66 surface, rather forming hydroxyl-initiated epoxy opening crosslinking polymerization than a simple amide bond formation (XP0012). The interfacial bonding chemistry was also proved by addition of bisphenol A (BA) to a simplified model diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A/dicyandiamide (DGEBA/DICY) epoxy system. When BA was added to the model DGEBA/DICY system, epoxy ring gradually decreased on CFRP-PA66 surface, while without BA, DGEBA/DICY showed only decrease in a nitrile peak intensity in ATR-FTIR.