Improved adhesion between stainless steel heating element and PPS polymer in resistance welding of thermoplastic composites

Resistance welding of thermoplastic composites involves applying an electric current to a heating element, usually a stainless-steel (SS) mesh, which heats up by Joule effect, melts the surrounding polymer matrix and remains at the joint interface following the welding operation. In this study, the adhesion between a thermoplastic matrix, i.e., polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), and the SS mesh heating element is evaluated and improved through the...