Comparative Analysis of Mechanical Properties of Thermally Sprayed Cu and Zn Coatings on Fiber-Reinforced Plastic for Enhanced EMC Applications

The performance and, as a consequence, the application of functionalized fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) are limited due to low adhesion strengths between the metal coating and the polymer-based substrate. Common pre-treatment methods, to successfully apply a metal coating by thermal spraying on commercial FRP, are mechanical blasting, etching or thermal treatment. Moreover, additional layers made of metal wire or sand have been integrated into the FRP surface. A promising material-sensitive pre-treatment method for FRP substrates is laser micro structuring. This method avoids uncontrolled damage of surface-near fibers and offers an increased interface area. Unique for pulsed laser structuring is the opportunity to achieve a clamping effect between the functional coating and the FRP by a trench-like structure.