Effect of laser textured patterns on the interfacial characteristics and mechanical properties of 6061Al/GFRTP joints via hot-pressing

Joining metal and glass fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite (GFRTP) is advantageous for obtaining a lightweight structure. In this study, a hot-pressing joining of 6061 aluminum alloy (6061Al) and GFRTP was realized, and three textured patterns on the 6061Al surface were prepared by a nanosecond laser to enhance the bonding strength of two materials. The influence of laser textured patterns on the interfacial characteristics and mechanical properties of 6061Al/GFRTP joints was systematically investigated. The results implied that the surface roughness of 6061Al was increased and a better wettability of molten GFRTP was obtained after laser texturing. Besides, the strain distribution of laser textured joints was more uniform than the pretreated sample during tensile–shear loading. Furthermore, a transformation of fracture mode from the interface failure to the mixed failure occurred. Therefore, the mechanical properties of joints were significantly improved after laser texturing, which provided a solution method for joining metal to polymer.