Abstract
Laser-Interference Structuring (LIS) is a technique that was proposed to treat aluminum surfaces for improving primer adhesion. LIS may not require a series of chemical treatments, such as those used in chemical conversion coating (CCC) and sulfuric acid anodizing (SAA), which make the pre-treatment of Al panels simpler and quicker for primer painting. Previous test results indicated that LIS surface preparation enhances coating adhesion on Al 2024. To assess the effect of LIS on corrosion resistance of coatings, Al 2024 panels prepared by LIS, CCC and SAA were coated with MIL-PRF-23377 primers and exposed to salt spray environment according to ASTM B117. The exposure is currently in progress and the corrosion attack on the coated panels will be evaluated by the degree of blister formation and rust creepage according to ASTM standards.
