Polymer-Aluminium Adhesion. I. The Surface Energy of Aluminium in Relation to its Surface Treatment

The influence of different surface treatments (degreasing, phosphatization, sealed and non-sealed anodization) on the surface energy of an aluminium substrate has been examined. The surface energy has been determined by wettability measurements using the two liquid phase method and taking into account the roughness and porosity of the treated substrate. The comparison of the interfacial interaction energies Al/polymer and Al/water shows that the treatment leading to the highest γD S value and the lowest surface polarity, i. e. phosphatization, gives the highest adhesion strength and the best moisture resistance of the metal/polymer assembly.