Influence of metal surface temperature on polymer morphology and adhesion of metal-composite joints produced by fused filament fabrication

Influence of metal surface temperature on polymer morphology and adhesion of metal-composite joints produced by fused filament fabrication | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Influence of metal surface temperature on polymer morphology and adhesion of metal-composite joints produced by fused filament fabrication Muzaffar Chumroo, Wing Chiu, Hao Wang, Yvonne Durandet This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9067187/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted 11 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study investigates how aluminium substrate temperature governs polymer crystallinity and interfacial adhesion in continuous carbon-fibre-reinforced polyamide-6 (PA6) joints produced by fused filament fabrication (FFF). A custom heated build plate enabled controlled deposition of the composite onto aluminium surfaces at temperatures between 160 to 210°C. Three-point bending and single-lap shear tests were used to quantify adhesion, while differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and microscopy provided complementary insight into interfacial morphology. Increasing substrate temperature up to the PA6 melting point (200°C) improved wetting behaviour, promoting complete filling of the aluminium surface topography, and increased interfacial crystallinity from 29.7% to 42.3%, resulting in nearly a fourfold increase in delamination load. At 210°C (10°C above polymer melting temperature), an adhesion reduction was attributed to altered solidification history caused by prolonged melt residence and delayed solidification. Fractography revealed a transition from adhesive failure to mixed and cohesive modes at elevated temperatures, with metallic asperity fracture and polymer entrapment evidencing strong mechanical interlocking. The maximum lap shear strength of 12.8 MPa compares favourably with established metal–thermoplastic joining techniques, demonstrating that substrate-temperature-controlled crystallinity is a critical design parameter for optimising interfacial performance in additively manufactured metal–polymer hybrids. Aluminium-composite Joining Additive Manufacturing Metal–Composite Hybrid Fused Filament Fabrication Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files Graphicalabstract.pdf Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 25 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 16 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 12 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 05 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 03 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 25 Mar, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 16 Mar, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 16 Mar, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 13 Mar, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 11 Mar, 2026 First submitted to journal 08 Mar, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9067187","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":607221585,"identity":"90a53883-5059-488c-8487-53c847b60d05","order_by":0,"name":"Muzaffar Chumroo","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Swinburne University of Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Muzaffar","middleName":"","lastName":"Chumroo","suffix":""},{"id":607221586,"identity":"a1d61fc5-c015-4532-85e6-65d945f8f483","order_by":1,"name":"Wing Chiu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Monash 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A custom heated build plate enabled controlled deposition of the composite onto aluminium surfaces at temperatures between 160 to 210\u0026deg;C. Three-point bending and single-lap shear tests were used to quantify adhesion, while differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and microscopy provided complementary insight into interfacial morphology. Increasing substrate temperature up to the PA6 melting point (200\u0026deg;C) improved wetting behaviour, promoting complete filling of the aluminium surface topography, and increased interfacial crystallinity from 29.7% to 42.3%, resulting in nearly a fourfold increase in delamination load. At 210\u0026deg;C (10\u0026deg;C above polymer melting temperature), an adhesion reduction was attributed to altered solidification history caused by prolonged melt residence and delayed solidification. 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