|
Group: Forum Members
Posts: 198,
Visits: 1.4K
|
Yes, epoxy will stick to aluminium. If the aluminium surface it properly prepared. At least degrease and sand it immediately before applying the resin.
The strenght of that bond is often somewhat unpredictable, that's why in aviation the al. is usually chemically treated (chromate etched) before gluing. The resulting bond isn't necessarily stronger, but it is predictable and will last longer.
A bigger potential problem encountered when covering aluminium with carbon is corrosion. Depending on the environmental conditions the part is exposed to the metal might corrode quickly. Google "aluminum carbon corrosion" for details. This can be limited by electrically isolating the two from each other, e.g. by laminating a thin layer of glass fabric between the metal and carbon.
Some epoxy glues remain somewhat flexible when cured and stick better to metals than regular laminating epoxies. The insulating glass layer can be laid into the epoxy glue applied onto the metal, and then the carbon is applied with regular laminating epoxy. The two epoxies are compatible and will chemically connect with each other, resulting in an electrically insulating bond that is flexible enough to compensate for the different thermal expansion ratios. Parts might be exposed to sub-freezing temperatures in winter and reach surface temps of 100°C in direct sunlight in summer!
Others might disagree, but that's my 2c.
|