High-performance nanoadhesive bonding of titanium for aerospace and space applications

In this investigation, attempts are made to prepare high-performance nanoadhesive bonding of titanium for its essential applications to aviation and space. The high-performance nanoadhesive is prepared by dispersing silicate nanoparticles into the ultra-high-temperature-resistant epoxy adhesive at 10 wt% ratio with the matrix adhesive followed by modification of the nanoadhesive after curing under high-energy radiation for 6 h in the pool of SLOWPOKE-2 nuclear reactor with a dose rate of 37 kGy/h to promote crosslink into the adhesive. Prior to bonding, the surfaces of the titanium sheets are mechanically polished by wire brushing, ultrasonically cleaned by acetone and thereafter the titanium sheets are modified by plasma ion implantation using plasma nitriding. The titanium surface is characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The thermal characteristics of the epoxy adhesive and the high-performance nanoadhesive are carried out by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The TGA studies clearly shows that for the basic adhesive there is a weight loss of the adhesive, however, in the case of epoxy–silicate nanoadhesive, there is almost 100% retention of weight of the adhesive, when the adhesive is heated up to 350 °C. Lap shear tensile strength of the joint increases considerably, when the titanium surface is modified by plasma-nitriding implantation. There is a further massive increase in joint strength, when the plasma-nitriding implanted titanium joint is prepared by nanosilicate–epoxy adhesive and further modification of the adhesive joint under high-energy radiation results a further significant increase in joint strength. In order to simulate with aviation and space climatic conditions, the joints are separately exposed to cryogenic (−196 °C) and elevated temperature (+300 °C) for 100 h and thermal fatigue tests of the joints are carried out under 10 cycles by exposing the joint for 2 h under the above temperatures. When the joint completely kept at ambient condition and the joint strength compared with those joints exposed to aviation and space climatic conditions, it is observed that the joint could retain 95% of the joint strength. Finally, to understand the behavior of the high-performance silicate–epoxy nanoadhesive bonding of titanium, the fractured surfaces of the joints are examined by scanning electron microscope.