ISSN: 0884-6804
CODEN: JCTRER
Page Count: 7

Adhesion of Stainless Steel to Fiber Reinforced Vinyl Ester Composite
Melograna, JD
Graduate student, Lehigh University, PA

Grenestedt, JL
Associate Professor, Lehigh University, PA

(Received 27 July 2001; accepted 19 March 2002)

Abstract

Joints between stainless steel and composites have many applications. For example, marine vessels may be composed of a steel hull joined to a composite bow, stern, and/or topside structure. Joining these components adhesively is a major structural challenge, and overcoming this challenge necessitates the development of strong adhesion between steel and composites. The present study investigates AL-6XN stainless steel and glass fiber reinforced vinyl ester. Several specimens were manufactured with different surface preparations, adhesives, and/or additives. Short-term transverse tensile strength in dry conditions was used as the measure by which the different strategies were compared. All specimens were manufactured using a vacuum infusion technique, with the steel embedded within the fiber reinforcements before the molding. No secondary bonding was done.

Keywords:
adhesion, surface preparation, fiber reinforced composite, stainless steel, vinyl ester, transverse tensile strength, vacuum infusion

Paper ID: CTR10932J
DOI: 10.1520/CTR10932J
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