Adhesive bonding process for aluminium and/or aluminium alloy
AssigneeBAE SYSTEMS plc
InventorDavid G Dixon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The durability of a bonded aluminium alloy and/or Alclad (Trade Mark) material joint can be improved by a two stage pre-treatment process in which after the surfaces to be joined have been degreased, a first solution BTESE and/or BTMSE in water, with or without methanol and/or ethanol, is applied to the degreased surfaces dried and coated with a second solution of γ-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane, an amino silane, γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and/or trimethoxyvinylsilane in water with or without methanol and/or ethanol and drying prior to the application of an epoxy adhesive coating to the dried second solution surfaces, bonding and curing.
Claims10
A process for improving the durability of a bonded aluminium alloy and/or aluminium alloy clad in industrially pure aluminium material joint, including the steps of:
- degreasing surfaces of the material to be joined,
- applying to each degreased surface a first solution of from 0.001 to 10% by volume of 1,2-Bis(triethoxysilyl) ethane in water, with or without methanol and/or ethanol, in a range of from 0.01 to 99.9% by volume at a pH value in the range of from 3 to 7,
- drying the first solution coated surfaces at a temperature in the range of from 20 to 120° C. for a time in the range of from 1 to 90 minutes,
- applying to each dried first solution coated surface a second solution of from 0.01 to 50% by volume of γ-Glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane, an aminosilane, γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, and/or trimethoxyvinylsilane in water, with or without methanol and/or ethanol, in a range of from 0.10 to 99.9% by volume at a pH value in the range of from 3 to 7,
- drying the second solution coated surfaces at a temperature in the range of from 20 to 120° C. for a time in the range of from 1 to 120 minutes,
- applying a coating of an epoxy adhesive to the dried second solution coated surfaces,
- contacting the epoxy adhesive coated surfaces together and
- curing the contacted surfaces to bond them together.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.