| Abstract: | Clad aluminium alloy was pretreated by immersion in boiling water for times ranging between 30 s and 4 h. The chemical and physical properties of the films produced in the 100°C water were characterized by techniques including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The durability of the bonds formed between the boiling water films and a rubber-toughened epoxy adhesive was assessed in terms of the film properties and fracture analysis of failed wedge specimens. In the early pretreatment stage, bond durability was limited by the fracture of the porous oxide film at the film-metal interface. For immersion times greater than 4 min, a decrease in film porosity and bond durability was observed. |
