Laser treatment, bonding potential road to success for carbon fiber

摘要

Joining carbon fiber composites and aluminum for lightweight cars and other multimaterial high-end products could become less expensive and the joints more robust because of a new method that harnesses a laser's power and precision. The process, developed by a team led ! by ORNL's Adrian Sabau, would replace the practice of using abrasive pads, grit blasting and environmentally harmful solvents to prepare the surface of the materials by hand. Using a laser to remove layers of material from surfaces prior to bonding improves the performance of the joints and provides a path toward automa-tion for high-volume use.