Abstract
Adhesive bonding of aluminium alloys has been investigated due to its growing importance in aeronautic, aerospace, and automotive industries. This paper examines the influences of two pretreatments, alkaline etching and acid pickling, applied singly or in combination with phosphoric acid anodizing on the mechanical behavior of adhesive bonded 2024-T3 aluminium alloy joints, before and after aging by water immersion. The aim of the present study is to investigate the nature of the oxide formed on the aluminium-copper alloy with different surface pretreatments/phosphoric acid anodizing, to analyze the influence of surface features in the durability of bonded joints, the interactions between the oxide and the adhesive, and the influence of water on the mechanical properties of the bulk adhesive, and to understand the phenomena responsible for the degradation of bonded joints.