Development and control of surface treatments for adhesive bonding of composites

Successful adhesive bonding requires precise control of the physical and chemical properties of a vanishingly small volume of material: the first few molecular layers that surround the interface. This in turn requires developing a sensitivity to the factors that affect this region as well as imposing effective process control protocols. This seminar will review the requirements for high-performance surface treatment processes, strategies for developing these processes for new material systems, and protocols for control of these processes after implementation in manufacturing. 

Primary Topics: 
- Basic principles of adhesive bonding for joining composite structures 
- Common composite surface preparation methods, their advantages and disadvantages 
- Development of surface treatment processes: how to evaluate and optimize performance 
- Deployment of adhesive bonding processes in manufacturing: how to ensure control to achieve consistent bond performance 

Presenter: Giles Dillingham 
Executive and Chief Scientist of BTG Labs, has worked in the areas of surfaces, interfaces, and adhesive bonding for 30 years. After earning his Ph.D. in Materials Science, he worked in the Advanced Composites laboratory of the Dow Chemical Company developing a fundamental understanding of surface treatments for high modulus polymeric fiber reinforcements for aerospace applications. Later, as Technical Director of HiTech Polymers he oversaw development and manufacture of novel thermoplastic blends and fiber reinforced composites. He returned to the University of Cincinnati in the mid 1990’s where he worked extensively on plasma processing of materials and adhesive bonding of advanced composites. He incorporated BTG Labs in the late 1990’s. BTG Labs pursues applied research in surface processing of materials, and develops and manufactures instrumentation for control of surface engineering processes. He is proud to have been elected a Robert L. Patrick Fellow of the Adhesion Society.