Effect of the nature of the etchant on the adhesion strength of a Ti alloy

The effects of the surface chemistry and morphology of three different adhesion‐promoting treatments on Ti–6Al–4V alloy were evaluated by x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Auger depth profiling (AES) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The lap shear strength of Ti–6Al–4V/polyimide joints was evaluated immediately after curing and after dry and wet ageing. While all the treatments produced nearly the same immediate shear strength, treatment‐related effects, most likely connected to the nature and amount of the elements introduced by the treating routine, were observed in aging studies.