Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- Preface -- Part 1: Laser Surface Treatment/Modification to Enhance Adhesion -- 1 Nd:YAG Laser Surface Treatment of Various Materials to Enhance Adhesion -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.1.1 Surface Pretreatment for Adhesive Bonding -- 1.1.2 Pretreatment Processes - State of the Art -- 1.1.3 Solid State Nd:YAG Laser -- 1.1.4 The Aim of the Current Research -- 1.2 Methodology -- 1.3 Experimental -- 1.3.1 Materials -- 1.3.2 Laser Parameters -- 1.3.3 Visual Observation -- 1.3.4 SEM Observation of Treated Surfaces -- 1.3.5 XPS -- 1.3.6 Contact Angle -- 1.3.7 FTIR -- 1.3.8 Joint Strength -- 1.3.8.1 Shear Strength of Joints -- 1.3.8.2 Tensile Strength of Joints -- 1.4 Results -- 1.4.1 Polypropylene (PP) -- 1.4.1.1 Contact Angle -- 1.4.1.2 FTIR Results -- 1.4.1.3 Joint Strength Measurements -- 1.4.2 Aluminum (2024 T3) -- 1.4.2.1 Contact Angle -- 1.4.2.2 FTIR Results -- 1.4.2.3 Joint Strength Measurements -- 1.4.3 Polyimide (Kapton) -- 1.4.3.1 Contact Angle -- 1.4.3.2 FTIR Results -- 1.4.3.3 Joint Strength Measurements -- 1.4.4 Open Time -- 1.4.5 Silicone Rubber -- 1.4.5.1 Contact Angle -- 1.4.5.2 FTIR Results -- 1.4.5.3 Joint Strengths Measurements -- 1.5 Conclusions -- References -- 2 Effects of Excimer Laser Treatment on Self-Adhesion Strength of Some Commodity (PS, PP) and Engineering (ABS) Plastics -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Background and Literature Survey -- 2.2.1 Excimer Laser Surface Treatment -- 2.2.1.1 Overview of Excimer Laser Processing -- 2.2.1.2 Mechanism of Thermal-oxidation by Laser Irradiation -- 2.2.1.3 Mechanism of Photo-oxidation by Laser Irradiation -- 2.2.1.4 The Mathematical Models of Excimer Laser Surface Modification -- 2.3 Ultrasonic Welding of Thermoplastics -- 2.3.1 Overview of Ultrasonic Welding -- 2.3.2 The Components of Ultrasonic Welder.

2.3.3 Mechanism of Ultrasonic Welding and Structure Development at Semicrystalline Interface -- 2.3.4 Modeling of Ultrasonic Welding -- 2.3.5 Minimum Flow Velocity -- 2.3.6 Energy Directors -- 2.3.7 The Effect of Pressure Control -- 2.3.8 The Effect of Ultrasonic Amplitude -- 2.3.9 The Effect of Trigger Pressure -- 2.3.10 The Effect of Weld Time -- 2.3.11 The Effect of Horn Down Speed -- 2.3.12 Ultrasonic Weldability of Thermoplastics -- 2.4 Experimental Procedures -- 2.4.1 Sample Preparation -- 2.4.1.1 Materials -- 2.4.1.2 Injection Molding -- 2.4.1.3 Preparation of Samples for Laser treatment and Welding Experiments -- 2.4.2 Processing -- 2.4.2.1 Excimer Laser Treatment -- 2.4.2.2 Ultrasonic Welding -- 2.4.3 Tensile Testing -- 2.5 Results and Discussion -- 2.5.1 The Effect of Ultrasonic Weld Parameters on the Weld Strength of PP -- 2.5.2 The Effect of Laser Treatment on the Ultrasonic Weld Strength -- 2.5.2.1 The Effect of Laser Treatment on Weld Strength of PP -- 2.5.2.2 The Effect of Laser Treatment on Weld Strengths of PS and ABS -- 2.5.2.3 The Effect of Pulse Number on the Weld Strength of PS and ABS -- 2.5.2.4 The Effect of Laser Pulse Energy on Weld Strength of PS and ABS -- 2.5.2.5 The Effect of Laser Pulse Frequency on Weld Strength of PS and ABS -- 2.6 Summary and Conclusions -- References -- 3 Laser Surface Pre-Treatment of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Plastics (CFRPs) for Adhesive Bonding -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 State-of-Research -- 3.2.1 Interaction of Laser Radiation with Plastics -- 3.2.2 Laser Pre-treatment of Fiber-reinforced Plastic -- 3.3 Materials and Methods -- 3.4 Laser Sources and Principles -- 3.4.1 Laser Processing Strategies -- 3.4.2 Mid-UV Laser -- 3.4.3 Near-UV Laser -- 3.4.4 Near-IR Laser -- 3.4.5 Mid-IR Laser -- 3.5 Results -- 3.5.1 Surface Analyses and Cross-sectional Images -- 3.5.2 Mechanical Tests.

3.5.3 Accelerated Aging -- 3.6 Summary -- References -- 4 Laser Surface Modification of Fibers for Improving Fiber/Resin Interfacial Interactions in Composites -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Excimer Laser Treatment of UHMWPE Fibers -- 4.3 Excimer Laser Treatment of Vectran® Fibers -- 4.4 Excimer Laser Treatment of Aramid Fibers -- 4.5 Excimer Laser Treatment of Cellulose Fibers -- 4.6 Summary -- References -- 5 Laser Surface Modification in Dentistry: Effect on the Adhesion of Restorative Materials -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 Dental Structures -- 5.3 Adhesion of Restorative Materials -- 5.4 Laser Light Interaction with the Dental Substrate -- 5.5 Dental Structure Ablation and Influence on Bond Strength of Restorative Materials -- 5.6 Summary and Prospects -- References -- Part 2: Other Effects/Applications of Laser Surface Treatment -- 6 Fundamentals of Laser-Polymer Interactions and their Relevance to Polymer Metallization -- 6.1 Introduction -- 6.2 Impact of Laser Radiation on a Polymeric Material -- 6.3 Laser Selection Criteria -- 6.4 Surface Modification of Polymeric Materials Below Ablation Threshold -- 6.5 Surface Modification of Polymeric Materials Above Ablation Threshold -- 6.6 Application of Lasers to Polymer Metallization -- 6.6.1 Metallization of Polymers -- 6.6.2 Neat Polymers in Gaseous Medium -- 6.6.3 Neat Polymers in Liquid Medium -- 6.6.4 Neat Polymers Coated with Films -- 6.6.5 Polymer Composites Containing Active Species -- 6.7 Summary -- Acknowledgement -- References -- 7 Laser Patterning of Silanized Carbon/Polymer Bipolar Plates with Tailored Wettability for Fuel Cell Applications -- 7.1 Introduction -- 7.1.1 Water Management in Fuel Cells -- 7.1.2 Wettability of Materials -- 7.2 Silane-based Coatings -- 7.3 Laser Processing of Silane-based Coatings -- 7.4 Fabrication and Plasma Activation of Bipolar Plates.

7.5 Silanization of Bipolar Plates -- 7.6 Laser Processing of Bipolar Plates -- 7.7 Summary -- 7.8 Prospects -- Acknowledgments -- References -- 8 Predominant and Generic Parameters Governing the Wettability Characteristics of Selected Laser-modified Engineering Materials -- 8.1 Introduction -- 8.2 Modification of Wettability Characteristics Using Laser Beams -- 8.2.1 Laser Surface Modification of Ceramic Materials for Improved Wettability -- 8.2.2 Laser Surface Modification of Metallic Materials for Improved Wettability -- 8.2.3 Laser Surface Modification of Polymers for Improved Wettability -- 8.3 Laser Wettability Characteristics Modification of Selected Ceramics -- 8.3.1 Experimental Procedures -- 8.3.1.1 Material Specifications -- 8.3.1.2 Laser Processing Details -- 8.3.1.3 Morphological, Chemical and Phase Analysis Procedures -- 8.3.1.4 Wettability Characteristics Analysis Procedure -- 8.3.2 Identification of the Predominant Mechanisms Active in Determining Laser-modified Wettability Characteristics -- 8.3.2.1 For the Magnesia Partially Stabilized Zirconia (MgO-PSZ) -- 8.3.2.2 For the Yttria partially Stabilized Zzirconia (YPSZ) -- 8.3.3 Ascertaining the Generic Effects of Laser Surface Treatment on the Wettability Characteristics of the Selected Ceramics -- 8.4 Laser Wettability Characteristics Modification of Selected Metals -- 8.4.1 Experimental Procedures -- 8.4.1.1 Material Specifications -- 8.4.1.2 Laser Processing Details -- 8.4.1.3 Morphological, Chemical and Phase Analysis Procedures -- 8.4.1.4 Wettability Characteristics Analysis Procedure -- 8.4.2 Identification of the Predominant Mechanisms Active in Determining Laser-modified Wettability Characteristics -- 8.4.2.1 For the Ti6Al4V Alloy -- 8.4.2.2 For the 316 LS Stainless Steel.

8.4.3 Ascertaining the Generic Effects of Laser Surface Treatment on the Wettability Characteristics of the Selected Metals -- 8.5 Laser Wettability Characteristics Modification of a Selected Polymer -- 8.5.1 Experimental Procedures -- 8.5.1.1 Material Specifications -- 8.5.1.2 Laser-induced Patterning Procedure -- 8.5.1.3 Laser whole-area Irradiative Processing Procedure -- 8.5.1.4 Topography, Wettability Characteristics and Surface Chemistry Analysis Techniques -- 8.5.2 Identification of the Predominant Mechanisms Active in Determining Laser-modified Wettability Characteristics -- 8.5.2.1 Laser-induced Patterning -- 8.5.2.2 Laser Whole-area Irradiative Processing -- 8.5.2.3 Comparison Between Laser-induced Patterning and Laser Whole-area Irradiative Processing -- 8.5.3 Ascertaining the Generic Effects of Laser Surface Treatment on the Wettability Characteristics of the Polymer -- 8.6 Summary and Conclusions -- References -- 9 Laser Surface Engineering of Polymeric Materials and the Effects on Wettability Characteristics -- 9.1 Introduction -- 9.2 Wettability Characteristics -- 9.2.1 Contact Angle -- 9.2.1.1 Contact Angle Hysteresis -- 9.2.1.2 The Effect of Surface Roughness on the Contact Angle -- 9.2.1.3 The Effects of Surface Chemistry on the Contact Angle -- 9.2.2 Surface Energy Parameters -- 9.2.3 Wettability in Relation to Adhesion -- 9.2.3.1 Adhesional Wetting -- 9.2.3.2 Immersional Wetting -- 9.2.3.3 Spreading Wetting -- 9.3 State-of -the-Art Surface Engineering Techniques -- 9.3.1 Alternatives to Laser Surface Engineering -- 9.3.1.1 Radiation Grafting -- 9.3.1.2 Plasma Surface Modification -- 9.3.1.3 Ion Beam Processing -- 9.3.1.4 Micro-printing -- 9.3.2 Photolithography -- 9.3.3 Using Lasers for Surface Engineering -- 9.3.3.1 Laser Surface Engineering -- 9.3.4 A Technique for Laser Surface Engineering of Polymeric Materials.

9.3.4.1 The Polymeric Material.