Nanoscale Sculpturing : Enhancing Adhesion And Preserving Intrinsic Mechanical Properties Of Metallic Materials For Multifunctional Applications

Modern material demands are intricate, necessitating high-strength similar to steels and chemical inertness akin to polymers. Meeting these requirements involves integrating materials into composites. Crucial to this integration is ensuring adhesion, achievable through mechanical interlocking, chemical compatibility, and bonding. In relying on mechanical interlocking, chemistry role are negligible, emphasizing mechanical properties.
Current pre-treatment methods have limitations in sensitivity to changes in grain structure, crystallographic orientation, and poor mechanical interlocking. Recent nanoscale sculpturing advancements enhance surface adhesion, but the impact of initial surface morphology on structure evolution is under-explored. Preserving mechanical properties post-pre-treatment, especially for thin metal wires, requires investigation.
This thesis delves into nucleation efficiency in evolving mechanical interlocking structures on metal surfaces via chemical and electrochemical nanoscale sculpturing. Common pre-treatment methods are tuned for micro-surface defects with different grooves and tip curvatures. Initial surface morphology significantly influences the nucleation stage, leading to varying structure completion times.
The study emphasizes enhanced surface adhesion on sculptured stainless steel (SST) strips through electrochemical nanoscale sculpturing. The resulting interlocking structure exhibits increased shear strength compared to reference grit-blasted SST composites. Preserving mechanical properties of SST wire during intense surface pre-treatment is achieved using an electrochemical nanoscale sculpturing model, applicable in dynamic industrial large-scale processes.
This work provides insights into nucleation efficiency in evolving mechanical interlocking structures and the potential for improved adhesion. It presents a model for intense surface pre-treatment of SST wire while preserving the mechanical properties.