Effect of ultrasonic vibration on adhesive enhancement of plasma-modified nickel surface

Poor adhesion of nickel surface limits its further application in the aerospace field. In this study, plasma modification was conducted on the surface of the nickel plate pretreated by sandblasting, and then ultrasonic vibration was applied during the adhesively bonding process of the CFRP(Carbon fibre-reinforced polymer)/Ni joints. The bonding strength of the joints was increased by 65%. The adherend surface and the bonding interface were analyzed from microstructure, element distribution and chemical bonding to study the strengthening mechanism. By the sandblasting, irregular pits were formed on the nickel surface, effectively increasing the surface roughness. The plasma modification could introduce active functional groups including hydroxyl, amino and carbonyl on the nickel surface, which improved the surface wettability macroscopically. However, at a microscopic level, the adhesive with high viscosity and poor fluidity did not form a compact interface with the nickel. The ultrasonic application could promote the filling of the adhesive in irregular micro-scale pits on the surface, thereby strengthening the mechanical anchoring effect. Furthermore, the ultrasonic application produced dynamic impingement at the interface, enhancing the contact between the adhesive and the nickel plate. The adhesive molecules could fully collide and react with the active functional groups introduced on the nickel surface to form more chemical bonds, thus effectively improving the bonding strength of the CFRP/Ni joints.