AMETIST : Amine-METal Interphase in epoxy adhesive SysTems
Epoxy-amine systems are widely used as adhesives and paints and are extremely responsive to metal surfaces, which explains their excellent adhesion properties. The resulting interaction takes place through the formation of an interphase in this multi-components system, whose properties vary significantly from the properties of the corresponding bulk polymers. This interphase formation could explain some empirical observation in the industry (decrease in joint durability, degraded thermal stability…) but remain poorly documented. Data accessible to this day indicate that the amine precursor adsorbs on the metal surface and leads to the its partial dissolution, leading to the presence of metal ions in the adhesive layer. There is almost no information on the energetics of formation of these interphases nor on the related mechanisms. It is therefore crucial to develop direct monitoring and quantitative approaches to explore in situ the formation of these interphases, to better understand and even predict the mechanisms involved at the molecular level. The AMETIST project aims to capture the microscopic structuration of the interphase formed by epoxy, amine and metals so as to understand and ultimately improve the thermal/mechanical properties (such as adherence) of the final polymerized pieces, using a complementary coupling between experiments and molecular simulations to investigate both microscopic and macroscopic scales. The following objectives will be aimed:
- 1) To propose a realistic model of the interphase by coupling different experimental and theoretical techniques, and better understand the interactions between the different components of the system as a function of the nature and (hydr)oxidation degree of the metal and the nature of the amine;
- 2) To link the macroscopic properties (in particular the adherence) to the existing interactions and structuration of the interphinterphase;
- 3) To propose the best approaches which can offer the targeted performances.
Last update : June 2023