Adhesion of Stainless Steel to Fiber Reinforced Vinyl Ester Composite

Joints between stainless steel and composites have many applications. For example, marine vessels may be composed of a steel hull joined to a composite bow, stern, and/or topside structure. Joining these components adhesively is a major structural challenge, and overcoming this challenge necessitates the development of strong adhesion between steel and composites. The present study investigates AL-6XN stainless steel and glass fiber reinforced vinyl ester. Several specimens were manufactured with different surface preparations, adhesives, and/or additives. Short-term transverse tensile strength in dry conditions was used as the measure by which the different strategies were compared. All specimens were manufactured using a vacuum infusion technique, with the steel embedded within the fiber reinforcements before the molding. No secondary bonding was done.