Abstract

Bonded structures are found in several applications such as automotive, aviation and transportation industries. The quality of adhesive bond is very important for structural integrity. Over the years, there have been several attempts at understanding bond integrity using Nondestructive techniques. The present work investigates the bond quality and integrity when two plastic plates are bonded by an epoxy based adhesive. Specifically, the work focuses on the influence or effect of surface treatment on the adhesion quality. This includes effect of spray-on primer, and surface activations which are expected to improve the bond quality. Surface activation specifically is to help the plastic receive the primer. A comparative study utilizing contact based ultrasonic testing methods is conducted to Nondestructively study the same. For this study, the Reflection Coefficient Theory (RCT) was used to characterize the bond between the plastic and adhesive. The changes in the reflection coefficients due to the effect of surface treatments were studied. This enabled the establishment of a range of acceptable reflection coefficient values that was used to characterize bonding quality.

How to Cite:

Gopalakrishnan, K., Deng, Y. & Chakrapani, S., (2019) “Studying the effect of primer coatings and surface activations on adhesion in adhesively bonded plastic plates using ultrasonic testing”, Review of Progress in Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation .