Engineering the Interface in Composites and Bonded Components

In this paper, various ways in which the interfaces in composites and bonded structures may be modified are surveyed. Direct pretreatment before bonding may be effective by altering the chemical nature of the surface or by altering its topography. Indirectly, the presence of one surface may alter the properties of an adjacent phase. This may occur by chemical reaction, by preferential adsorption of an additive or residue or by providing nuclei for the formation of a transcrystalline layer.