VUB revolutionises research into surface bonding
With his doctoral research on the effect of paint layers on metal, Dr Sven Pletincx, supervised by Prof Tom Hauffman and Prof Herman Terryn of the VUB research group Electrochemical and Surface Engineering (SURF), has succeeded for the first time in investigating the effects of salts or water on the contact layer between paint and metal under real conditions.
“The new method will make it possible to examine all types of coatings in the future and even to tune the strength of the adhesion of the paint layers in advance. The research has implications for many areas ranging from the coating industry itself to applications in the construction and transport sectors,” says Dr Pletincx.