Effects of different surface treatments of aluminum alloy 5083 on interlaminar strength and anticorrosion properties of FMLs

In this study, the effect of different pre-treatment techniques (sandblasting, micro-arc oxidation and laser ablation) on interlaminar strength, failure mode and galvanic corrosion resistance of FMLs based on aluminum alloy 5083 was comprehensively investigated by utilizing the peeling test and an immersion test. The results show that micro-arc oxidation and laser ablation can greatly enhance the Mode I (peel) interlaminar strength of FMLs based on 5083 aluminum by 67.2% and 80.8% respectively, compared with traditional sandblasting methods. For the FMLs treated with sandblasting, it mainly shows adhesive failure between epoxy and aluminum alloys, while the cohesive failure became dominant failure modes for micro-arc oxidation treated and the laser treated specimen. In addition, compared with mechanical treatment of sandblasting, micro-arc oxidation and laser ablation can significantly improve the galvanic corrosion resistance of FMLs by forming an isolated layer consisting of aluminum oxide between carbon fiber and aluminum substrate. (paper)