The roughened surface structure of zinc in 10,000x magnification (2 µm = 0.002 mm). © Melike Baytekin-Gerngroß / Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel
A strip of aluminium – the surface of which has been treated with an electro-chemical etching process – is permanently bonded with thermoplastic by heating. Photo: Julia Siekmann/CAU
Large metal surfaces can also be treated with nanoscale sculpturing. Although the etching is only applied to a thin layer on a micrometer scale, the resulting change is visible to the naked eye. Photo : Julia Siekmann/CAU
The Kiel-based research team of Melike Baytekin-Gerngroß (on the left), Mark-Daniel Gerngroß, Jürgen Carstensen and Rainer Adelung compares test results in the laboratory. Photo: Julia Siekmann/CAU
Aluminium plates which have only been sandblasted (in the background of the picture) cannot be glued successfully. The aluminium plates in the foreground of the picture were treated with the etching process “nanoscale-sculpturing” before being glued. Photo: Julia Siekmann/CAU