Joining a thermoplastic material and a metal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9475964-B2
Application number	US-201514981822-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2015
Priority date	Feb 28, 2013
Publication date	Oct 25, 2016
Grant date	Oct 25, 2016

Abstract

A method and apparatus comprising a sol-gel solution. Zirconium n-propoxide is aged in a solvent to form a first part for the sol-gel solution. The first part is combined with deionized water to form a second part for the sol-gel solution. Aminoaryltrialkoxysilane is combined with an alcohol to form a third part for the sol-gel solution. The third part is combined with the second part to form a mixture for the sol-gel solution. The deionized water, or the alcohol, or a combination thereof is combined with the mixture to form a solution. The solution is aged to form the sol-gel solution comprising a mole balance ratio of approximately 1:5 between the zirconium n-propoxide and the aminoaryltrialkoxysilane.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A joint comprising:
a thermoplastic material; and
a metal joined to thermoplastic material along a treated surface of the metal; and
a surface treatment applied to the metal to form the treated surface, wherein the surface treatment further comprises a sol-gel solution comprising:
zirconium n-propoxide;
aminoaryltrialkoxysilane, the sol-gel solution comprising a mole balance ratio of 1:5 between the zirconium n-propoxide and the aminoaryltrialkoxysilane;
a solvent;
an alcohol; and
deionized water.

2. The joint of claim 1 , wherein a minimum mole balance ratio between the alcohol and the aminoaryltrialkoxysilane is 18:1 in the sol-gel solution.

3. The joint of claim 1 , wherein a minimum mole balance ratio between the deionized water and the zirconium n-propoxide is 18:1 in the sol-gel solution.

4. The joint of claim 1 , wherein the alcohol is selected from the group consisting of isopropyl alcohol, methanol, ethanol, propanol, n-butanol (1-butanol), sec-butanol (2-butanol), isobutanol (2-methyl-1-propanol), tert-butanol (2-methoyl-2-propanol), and 3-methyl-2-butanol.

5. The joint of claim 1 , wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of glacial acetic acid, glycols, glycol ethers, and butyl ester.

6. The joint of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic material is a thermoplastic composite comprising reinforcing fibers in a thermoplastic resin matrix.

7. The joint of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic material is selected from the group consisting of a polyetherimide, a polyphenylene sulfide, a polyimide, a polyetherketoneketone, a polyetheretherketone, an acetal, an acrylic, a vinyl, a cellulosic, a polyamide, a polystyrene, a polysulfone, a polyurethane, a polytetrafluoroethylene, a polyolefin, a polyethylene, a polypropylene, a polyvinylfluoride, a polyetherimide, a polyphenylsulfone, a polycarbonate, and combinations thereof; and
wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of titanium, titanium alloys, aluminum alloys, nickel alloys, stainless steel alloys, copper alloys, and combinations thereof.

8. The joint of claim 1 , wherein the surface treatment further comprises at least one of:
a mechanical treatment applied to the treated surface, wherein the mechanical treatment is selected from the group consisting of grit blasting, sanding, and combinations thereof; and
a chemical treatment applied to the treated surface, wherein the chemical treatment is a chemical etch selected from the group consisting of a phosphoric acid anodize etch, a boric acid anodize etch, a sulfuric acid-sodium dichromate anodize etch, a chromic acid anodize etch, a phosphate-fluoride etch, and combinations thereof.

Assignees

• The Boeing Compnay
• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Blohowiak Kay Youngdahl
• Krieg Kristin L
• Anderson Jr Robert A

Classifications

• B29C66/73161

  Roughness or rugosity · CPC title

• C09J183/14

  in which at least two but not all the silicon atoms are connected by linkages other than oxygen atoms (C09J183/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C66/71

  characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined (welding bar compositions B29C65/125) · CPC title

• B29L2031/3002

  Superstructures characterized by combining metal and plastics, i.e. hybrid parts · CPC title

• B29C66/41

  Joining substantially flat articles (B29C66/47 and subgroups take precedence); Making flat seams in tubular or hollow articles (B29C66/51 and subgroups take precedence) · CPC title