Highly Efficient Rubber-to-Stainless Steel Bonding by Nanometer-Thin Cross-linked Polymer Brushes

Stainless steel (SS) surfaces were grafted with poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) brushes that were post-modified using allylamine, diallylamine, and propylamine as reagents. Likewise, poly[2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] brushes were synthesized. All samples were compression molded with uncured ethylene-propylene-diene M-class rubber and dicumyl peroxide and vulcanized for 12 min at 170 °C. The efficiency of the novel bonding solution was evaluated through peel experiments. Two parameters, the fracture toughness () and the cohesive-to-adhesive fracture ratio (A _r), were calculated to evaluate the strength and the performance of the coupling, respectively. For the nanometer-thin PGMA films modified with allylamine, in particular, full cohesive fracture was obtained. The obtained values of (15.4 ± 1.1 N mm^-1) and A _r (1.00 ± 0.01) matched those obtained for a micrometer-thick commercial bonding agent. Cross-linking of polymer brushes by intermolecular reactions by the primary amines proved to have a significant impact on the type of fracture (cohesive/adhesive) and the performance of the adhesives.