Effect of sandblasting substrate treatment on single lap shear strength of adhesively bonded PEEK and its composites

Adhesive bonding is one of the preferred methods to join composites and polymeric materials. In fact this method offers many advantages such as uniform stress distribution along the joint and minimizing stress concentration, weight reduction, compared with bolding for example. PEEK (PolyEtherEtherKetone) is a semi-crystalline high temperature resistant thermoplastic material [1-3]. However, the low surface energy and ability to resist to chemical changes makes PEEK adhesive bonding complex compared to metals or thermosettings. As a consequence, the preparation and surface treatments of adherents are primary steps before bonding [4]. a b