Mechanical factors in the adhesion of polyethylene to aluminium

Abstract

The adhesion of low-density polyethylene to porous anodic films on aluminum was studied using the 180° peel test. Relative values of bond strengths, obtained by using polymer with and without antioxidant and by forming the bond in air or in vacuo, indicated that good adhesion could be obtained, despite previous evidence to the contrary, in conditions where oxidation of the polyethylene was suppressed. The relation between peel strength and anodic film thickness and film-forming voltage implied that the polyethylene entered pores in the film during bond formation. This was supported by the change of the category of the adhesion to one dependent upon polymer oxidation when the pores in the anodic film were sealed prior to bond formation. It is suggested that the mechanism of adhesion to porous anodic films on aluminum involves keying of the polymer into the pores in the film.