Materials Engineering of Elastomer–Metal Interfaces Under Corrosion, Wear, and Adhesion Stressors

Elastomer–metal interfaces find applications in the automotive, aerospace,
and biomedical industries, and are affected by environmental degradation,
which is mainly corrosion, wear, and adhesion failure. Harsh service condi-
tions, such as wet conditions, changes in temperatures, chemicals, mechanical
forces contribute to the interfacial weakening process due to electrochemical
reactions, crack propagation, and delamination, eventually cause a failure of
the system. This review highlights the fundamental pathways of interfacial
degradation and the interaction effect that occur between chemical, mechan-
ical, and environmental stressors. An integrated system of chemo-mechani-
cal–environmental degradation is considered, whereby corrosion, wear, loss of
adhesion, and mechanical fatigue are not considered independent processes
but rather they interact. This model emphasizes the acceleration of other
stressors, which is caused by the damage of one stressor and by the feedback of
other stressors at the elastomer–metal interface. The methods of mitigation
are discussed, as well as surface treatment, incorporation of nanoparticles to
strengthen the composite, the application of special adhesives, and bioinspired
alternatives, such as sacrificial bonding and self-healing. Recent development
of multifunctional elastomer–metal composites exhibit toughness and damp-
ing, corrosion resistance, and bond durability. Other issues highlight the
importance of additional studies to solve the complexity of synergistic degra-
dation in real-life scenarios. Smart coatings, predictive modeling, and re-
silient, sustainable, and adaptive materials are some of the future
opportunities