Effect of Abrasive Waterjet Peening Surface Treatment of Steel Plates on the Strength of Single–Lap Adhesive Joints

Abstract

The paper presents the results of a comparative study of shear strength of single-lap adhesive joints, depending on the method of surface preparation of steel plates with increased corrosion resistance. The method of preparing adherend surfaces is often one of the most important factors determining the strength of adhesive joints. Appropriate geometric surface development and cleaning of the surface enhances adhesion forces between adherend material and adhesive. One of the methods of shaping engineering materials is waterjet cutting, which in the AWJP -abrasive waterjet peening variant, serves to shape flat surfaces of the material by changing the roughness and introducing stresses into the surface layer. These changes are valuable when preparing adhesive joints. In the study, surface roughness parameters obtained with AWJP treatment, were analyzed in direct relation to the strength of the adhesive joint. As a consequence of the experimental results analysis, the increase in the strength of the adhesive joints was observed in a certain range of parameters used for AWJP treatment. A decrease in shear strength of adhesive joint with the most modified topography of overlap surface was observed.

A review of the relationship between design factors and environmental agents regarding adhesive bonded joints

“…The interaction between materials is a relevant factor in the behavior of joints. Thus, to improve the joint strength, methods that favor adhesion have been studied [7,32,70,[83][84][85], going far beyond surface cleaning. Methods include primer application (to promote chemical adhesion), chemical cleaning, sanding, blasting, peel ply (to increase roughness of composites), atmospheric pressure plasma treatment (APPT), used to increase surface energy [19,71,[86][87][88][89][90][91].…”

Quality of Samples in Adhesive Joint Testing

“…Other key factors include the technological conditions and their repeatability, such as curing temperature, value and distribution of pressure as well as the defects in the adhesive structure and adhesion zone. In this context, the results of the comparative tests on the quality of the adhesive or the quality of surface preparation are strongly dependent on the repeatability of structural features and technology [1,2,8].…”