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Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Investigation of acid/base interactions in adhesion

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

The fundamental study of Lewis acid/base interactions presented in this dissertation demonstrates the role of these interactions in adhesive phenomena. The model systems investigated were representative of real substrates and soft, viscoelastic adhesives where, in one case, favorable acid/base interactions were possible which were not possible in the other. Inverse gas chromatography (IGC) and Infrared spectroscopy (IR) techniques were used to analyze the model adhesive in terms of its acid/base nature. The results of both experiments indicated, through negative enthalpies of acid/base interaction with acidic solvents, that the model adhesive poly(2-ethyl hexyl methacrylate) (PEHMA) exhibits the properties of a Lewis base. The near quantitative agreement of the results from both experiments validate these methods of determining acid/base interactions in polymeric systems. Fitting the enthalpies for acid/base interaction to Drago’s and Gutmann’s models brought out the importance of the electrostatic component of the interactions investigated. Furthermore, they illustrated the need to expand the existing datasets beyond organo-meta1lic compounds, and include more common organic solvents. Results from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) analysis of the model substrate, grade 2 titanium, pretreated via chromic acid (CAA) or sodium hydroxide anodization (PSHA), confirmed that oxides of very similar topology can be produced. Indicator dye studies revealed the CAA-Ti had a surface pH of below 3.0 and the PSHA-Ti had a surface pH of above 8.0. Bonds constructed from these analyzed materials were tested in peel and both systems exhibited good adhesion. However, the bonds in which favorable interactions were possible demonstrated superior interfacial performance. This improvement was seen in the bond’s ability to resist adhesive (interfacial) failure at debond rates at which other bonds failed. When the test geometry was changed such that the stress intensity at the interface was increased, the bonds in which acid/base interactions were favorable supported a higher peel load.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Ph. D.
Level thesis:degree_level
doctoral
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Chemistry
Department dc:contributor.department
Chemistry
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Year dc:date.issued
1988

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Koning, Paul Alan
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Ward, Thomas C.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • McGrath, James E.
  • Wightman, James P.
  • Graybeal, Jack D.
  • Brinson, Halbert F.

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright
Language dc:language.iso
en_US

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Handle dc:identifier.uri
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/53558
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/53558

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
related terms
citation

Koning, Paul Alan. Investigation of acid/base interactions in adhesion. doctoral thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/53558