View article

The work published in the open literature dealing with various polymer metal hybrid (PMH) approaches used to promote direct (adhesive-free) adhesion between metal and injection-molded thermoplastics is reviewed and critiqued. Different approaches are categorized as follows: (a) micro-scale polymer-to-metal mechanical interlocking; (b) in-coil or stamped-part pre-coating for enhanced adhesion; and (c) chemical modifications of the injection-molded thermoplastics for enhanced polymer-to-metal adhesion. For each of these approaches their suitability for use in load-bearing body-in-white (BIW) components is discussed. In particular, the compatibility of these approaches with the BIW manufacturing process chain (i.e. pre-coated metal component stamping, BIW construction via different joining technologies, BIW pre-treated and painting operations) is presented. It has been found that while considerable amount …