Generating durable Ti/CFRP adhesive joints for aerospace structures by laser pretreatment

Adhesive bonding of a microperforated titanium panel to a CFRP substructure is an innovative way to build a control surface (like wing or HTP) with hybrid laminar flow control. Pretreatment of titanium is essential to achieve a durable adhesive joint. IR laser and UV laser were compared for pretreatment of grade 2 titanium that was subsequently bonded with RTM6 resin. We report on the analysis of surface modifications by electron microscopy and of the adhesion properties by DCB testing.