Metal Alkoxide Primers in Titanium/Epoxy Bonding

Factors influencing the durability of Ti-6Al-4V/metal alkoxide/epoxy interphases were determined by studying the chemical composition of three metal alkoxides and evaluating the bond durability of Ti-6Al-4V/epoxy bonds primed with these materials. The three alkoxides were sec-butyl aluminum alkoxide, tetra-isopropyl titanate and tetra-n-butyl titanate. Because adhesive bonds made using phosphate fluoride (P/F) pretreated Ti-6Al-4V substrates were not durable, P/F treated Ti-6Al-4V was chosen as the substrate for testing the possible durability enhancement by the titanium and aluminum alkoxide coatings. Sec-butyl aluminum alkoxide significantly enhanced the bond durability of the P/F pretreated bonds, while the titanium alkoxide primers showed no improvement in durability. The locus of failure and infrared studies indicated the enhancement in durability by the aluminum alkoxide was due to the high concentration of hydroxyl groups on the alkoxide surface available to interact with the epoxy adhesive.