Direct bonding of stainless steel and PEEK using non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma-assisted joining technology

This work demonstrates the direct bonding of stainless steel (SUS304) to poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) using non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma-assisted joining technology in association with thermal press fitting. The tensile shear stress values of specimens bonded after plasma treatment of both the SUS304 and PEEK surfaces were higher than those of untreated samples and samples for which only one of the two surfaces was exposed to the plasma. These results indicate that the surface physical and chemical changes induced by exposure to the radio frequency plasma jet significantly increased the bonding strength.