Patent Publication Number: US-2012043299-A1

Title: Method for manufacturing composite of metal and resin

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is related to co-pending U.S. Patent Applications (Attorney Docket Nos. US34447 and US34449), entitled “METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING COMPOSITE OF METAL AND RESIN” and “COMPOSITE OF METAL AND RESIN AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF”. Such applications have the same assignee as the present application. The above-identified applications are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     This disclosure relates to how to manufacture composite of metal and resin. 
     Integrated metals and synthetic resins are used in a wide range of industrial fields including the production of parts for automobiles, domestic appliances, industrial machinery, and the like. Generally, the metal and the resin are joined together by adhesive. However, this method cannot supply a high-strength composite of metal and resin. 
     A method of injection joining for manufacturing composites of metal and resin appears to overcome the above shortcoming. In this method, molten resin material is injected onto a metal part that has been inserted in advance into an injection molding mold. The metal part has a surface combined with the resin. Generally, before inserting the metal part in the mold, a surface of the metal is treated by an etchant so that a stronger bond is formed with the resin material. However, different etchants must be used for different metals. In addition, the etchants are strong acids or alkalis, which require special handling when disposing the etchants after use to protect the environment. 
     Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of method for manufacturing composite of metal and resin can be better understood with reference to the following drawing. 
       The figure is a block diagram of an exemplary process for manufacturing composite of metal and resin. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The figure shows an exemplary method for manufacturing a composite of metal and resin, which includes following steps. 
     Step S 1 , a metal piece is provided. The metal piece can be formed by any process, such as machining or casting. The material of the metal piece can be selected from the group consisting of aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy, stainless steel alloy, copper, and copper alloy. 
     Step S 2 , the metal piece is cleaned with a degreasing agent solution. The metal piece is immersed in the solution having a temperature in an approximate range of 20° C. to 30° C. for 1 minute to 6 minutes. The concentration of degreasing agent contained in the solution is in the approximate range of 90 grams/liter (g/l) to 150 grams/liter (g/l). The metal piece is washed with water after removal from the solution. 
     Step S 3 , a pattern of nanopores are formed on surface of the metal piece by focused ion beam (FIB) etching the surface of the metal piece, which includes the following steps: 
     providing an FIB machine, wherein the FIB machine includes a controller and a vacuum chamber, and the controller controls the moving direction of the ion beam; 
     designing a pattern of nanopores which is input into the controller of the ion beam machining equipment; 
     inserting the washed metal piece into the vacuum chamber and then pumping out air from the vacuum chamber; 
     controlling the ion beam with the controller to etch the surface of the metal piece according to the pattern to form a plurality of nanopores, wherein the energy of the ion beam is about 30 KV, the current of the ion beam is in a range of 10 pico ampere (pA) to 100 pA, the etching time is in a range of 0.1 ms to 1 ms, diameters of the nanopores are in a range of 20 nm to 100 nm, depths of the nanopores are in a range of 50 nm to 100 nm, a degree of vacuum of the vacuum chamber is 1*10 −5  Pa. 
     Step S 4 , the metal piece is inserted into a mold. The metal piece is heated to a temperature in a range of 100° C. to 350° C. The heating can be accomplished using electromagnetic induction. 
     Step S 5 , molten resin material is injected into the mold and onto the metal piece. The resin material is thermoplastic resin and crystallizes when it cools. The molten resin material becomes partially embedded in the micro pores and bonds with the metal piece when the resin material is cool. The crystallized-type thermoplastic resin material can be selected from the group consisting of a composite of polyphentlene sulfide and glass fiber, polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate, or polybutylene terephthalate. When using the polyphentlene sulfide and glass fiber composite, the percentage composition of the glass fiber is in a range of 20% to 50%. 
     Tensile and shear strength tests are applied to the composite of metal and resin made by the above method. The results show that the tensile strength of the composite can reach 10 MPa, and the shear strength of the composite can reach 25 MPa. 
     After repeated cold and hot shock testing for 48 hours at temperatures in a range of −40° C. to 85° C., in 4 hour cycles, the tensile and shear strength of the composite of metal and resin does not become notably weaker. 
     It is to be understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.