Preparation and characterization of steel surfaces for adhesive bonding

D. Fernando, Jinguang Teng, T. Yu, X. L. Zhao

Research output: Journal article publicationJournal articleAcademic researchpeer-review

113 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) strengthened steel structures, debonding of the bonded FRP reinforcement from the steel substrate may result from adhesion failure at the steel/adhesive interface or the FRP/adhesive interface, cohesion failure in the adhesive, or a combination of these two modes. Of these failure modes, cohesion failure in the adhesive is the preferred mode of failure as it facilitates the development of a design theory based on the adhesive properties; the other two failure modes should be avoided if at all possible. This paper presents a systematic experimental study to identify a surface-adhesive combination that will avoid adhesion failure at the steel/adhesive interface. Different steel surface preparation methods, including solvent cleaning, hand grinding, and grit blasting, and different commonly used adhesives were examined in the study. Surface characterization using three key parameters (namely surface energy, surface chemical composition, and surface roughness and topography) was investigated. The test results showed that adhesion failure at the steel/adhesive interface can be avoided if the steel surface is properly grit blasted before bonding and a suitable adhesive is used, and that the treated surface can be characterized using the three key surface parameters mentioned previously.
Original languageEnglish
Article number04013012
JournalJournal of Composites for Construction
Volume17
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2013

Keywords

  • Adhesion failure
  • Adhesive bonding
  • Cohesion failure
  • Steel surface preparation
  • Surface characteristics

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ceramics and Composites
  • Civil and Structural Engineering
  • Building and Construction
  • Mechanics of Materials
  • Mechanical Engineering

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