Polyelectrolyte adsorption adds to laser pre-treatment

The strength and long-term resistance of bonded aluminium parts is known to strongly correlate with surface treatment. A common method to achieve a laterally defined activation of surfaces is laser pre-treatment. Laser treatment cleans and activates the surface to be bonded. On the other hand, however, there is no guarantee that the cleaning and activation effect achieved will endure over a longer period of time, especially when it comes to material storage. This paper aims at analysing the role that water-soluble, functional polymers such as polyelectrolytes have in the context of long-term cleaning and activation of aluminium surfaces.