Enhancement of metal adhesion, owing to the plasma texturing of PEEK

Abstract To understand both chemical and anchoring aspects of Al adhesion, the poly‐ether‐ether‐ketone (PEEK) surface was plasma‐textured before being coated. The practical adhesion was compared with that obtained by laser texturing. The surfaces and assemblies were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, surface free energy determination, and pull‐off tests. Patterning processes increase Al adhesion. O 2 plasma appears to be the most efficient through a texture assigned to the chemical erosion, whereas Ar plasma mostly induces material etching with thermal effects altering the PEEK crystallinity. With low‐pressure plasmas, this texturing can be added to the chemical functionalization to further increase the adhesion.