A numerical study of adhesively bonded lap joints

The two types of joint discussed in this paper are a thick adherend symmetrical lap joint, and a symmetrical double lap joint. The effect of varying adherend and adhesive thicknesses on the stress distribution in the thin adhesive layer is discussed. These analyses were used in the design on a lap shear test to characterize certain aerospace adhesives used in bonded repair of structural components. An alternative analytical approach for the estimation of the load-carrying capacity of the double lap joint is also presented.     

Non-linear analysis and optimization of adhesively bonded single lap joints between fibre-reinforced plastics and metals

Non-linear finite element methods are applied in the analysis of single lap joints between fibre-reinforced plastics (FRP) and metals. The importance of allowing for both geometric and material non-linearities is shown. The optimization of single lap joints is done by modifying the geometry of the joint ends. Different shapes of adhesive fillet, reverse tapering of the adherend, rounded edges and denting are applied in order to increase the joint strength. The influence of the joint-end geometry is shown for different metal adherend/FRP adherend/adhesive combinations. The results of the numerical predictions suggest that with a careful joint-end design the strength of the joints can be increased by 90–150%.     

预偏角对单搭接接头强度的影响

研究了在被粘物搭接区顸偏转角度对钢单搭接拉伸接头剪切强度的影响,并用弹性有限元法分析了预偏角变化时单搭接接头上胶层中的应力分布情况。数值分析的结果表明：当预偏角从0°增加到12°时,结构钢单搭接接头胶层中的所有应力峰值分量均显著下降。而在所采取实验条件下,接头的剪切强度最高值出现在预偏角为6°时。因而在进一步研究预偏角对单搭接接头承载能力的作用时,应将外载作用下接头的本征偏转情况考虑在内。     

An efficient analysis model for functionally graded adhesive single lap joints

Employing a functionally graded adhesive the efficiency of adhesively bonded lap joints can be improved significantly. However, up to now, analysis approaches for planar functionally graded adhesive joints are still not addressed well. With this work, an efficient model for the stress analysis of functionally graded adhesive single lap joints which considers peel as well as shear stresses in the adhesive is proposed. Two differential equations of the displacements are derived for the case of an axially loaded adhesive single lap joint. The differential equations are solved using a power series approach. The model incorporates the nonlinear geometric characteristics of a single lap joint under tensile loading and allows for the analysis of various adhesive Young׳s modulus variations. The obtained stress distributions are compared to results of detailed Finite Element analyses and show a good agreement for several single lap joint configurations. In addition, different adhesive Young׳s modulus distributions and their impact on the peel and shear stresses as well as the influence of the adhesive thickness are studied and discussed in detail.     

Flexural behavior of metallic fiber-reinforced adhesively bonded single lap joints

Incorporation of additives into the adhesive layer in adhesively bonded joints can improve the stress distriution in the adhesive layer and increase adhesive toughness. In this paper, the geometric and material parameters of metal fibers utilized for strengthening adhesively bonded single lap joints under flexural loading were investigated by using experimental investigations and finite element modeling. According to the experimental results, incorporating metal fibers in the adhesive layer of a bonded joint can have a significant impact on the flexural load bearing of the joint. This was in relationship with the numerical results foreseeing enhanced stress distributions of the adhesive layer, when the metal fibers were added to the adhesive layer. Some important parameters in the design of metal fiber-reinforced adhesive joints include the volume fraction (the distance between the fibers and the fiber diameter), orientation, and mechanical properties of the fibers. It was concluded that the peak normal stresses in the adhesive layer can be reduced, and consequently the load bearing of the joint can be improved by reducing the distance between the fibers, increasing the fiber diameter and choosing a stiffer material for the fibers in the longitudinal direction.     

外加磁场对粘接接头剪切强度的影响

采用自制的装置研究了磁场对由环氧胶层连接的钢制单搭接接头剪切强度的影响，结果表明．在所采取的试验条件下．试样叠合后立即施加的磁场可显著影响接头的强度；垂直于胶层的磁场提高接头的剪切强度效果高于平行磁场，磁场处理的时间以4h左右为宜。     

基于有限元方法的单搭接接头可靠性设计

将概率统计的设计观念引入单搭接粘接接头,通过有限元分析方法分析了对粘接接头力学性能影响较大的因素,并在抽样100次的情况下,分析了单搭接粘接接头失效的概率。结果表明,该模型可以有效地反映接头的实际情况,为粘接结构的可靠度设计提供了依据。     

Fatigue life prediction of adhesively bonded single lap joints

Better fatigue performance of adhesively bonded joints makes them suitable for most structural applications. However, predicting the service life of bonded joints accurately remains a challenge. In this present study, nonlinear computational simulations have been performed on adhesively bonded single lap ASTM-D1002 shear joint considering both geometrical and material nonlinearities to predict the fatigue life by judiciously applying the modified Coffin-Manson equation for adhesive joints. Elasto-plastic material models have been employed for both the adhesive and the adherends. The predicted life has close agreement in the high cycle fatigue (HCF) regime with empirical observations reported in the literature.     

The effect of orientations of metal macrofiber reinforcements on mechanical properties of adhesively bonded single lap joints

A method for improving the mechanical behavior of adhesive joints is embedding metal macrofibers to the adhesive layer. The effect of the orientation of metal macrofibers laid across the length and width of the joint (longitudinal and transversal directions) on the strength and elongation at failure of single lap joints (SLJs) was investigated experimentally by testing SLJs reinforced with metal macrofibers laid in different orientations. The experimental results indicated that increasing the number of metal macrofibers in the longitudinal direction improved the shear strength and elongation at failure of SLJs. However, the improvements were found to be dependent on the normalized horizontal distance between the metal macrofibers for which a proper value of 1 was determined. While embedding metal macrofibers in the transversal direction degraded the mechanical properties of SLJs. Finite element analyses were undertaken to investigate the effects of fibers orientation and horizontal distance on the adhesive peel and shear stress distributions. The results revealed that decreasing the horizontal distance between the metal macrofibers laid in the longitudinal direction decreased the adhesive shear stress values indicating improvement of the joint strength, while in SLJs reinforced with metal macrofibers laid in the transversal direction decreasing the fibers distance increased the adhesive peel stress values resulting in joint strength reduction.     

单搭接胶接接头的拓扑优化

在有限元方法的基础上，利用变密度法对单搭接胶接接头搭接区域的被粘物形状进行了拓扑优化，通过曲线拟舍得到了较为合理的轮廓。拓扑优化的结果表明：在体积减少20％的情况下。胶接结构的强度不会降低；经拓扑优化后，胶层中剪切应力的峰值比优化以前增加不大，约1％。     

Effects of adhesive fillers on the strength of tubular single lap adhesive joints

When an adhesively bonded joint is exposed to a high environmental temperature, the tensile load capability of the adhesively bonded joint decreases because the elastic modulus and failure strength of the adhesive decrease. In this paper, the elastic modulus and failure strength of the adhesive as well as the tensile load capability of the tubular single lap adhesively bonded joint were experimentally and theoretically investigated with respect to the volume fraction of filler and the environmental temperature. Two types of fillers - Al₂O₃ (alumina) and chopped fiber E glass - were used. From the experiment, it was found that the elastic modulus and failure strength of the adhesive increased in accordance with the increase of volume fraction of the filler and decreased with the environmental temperature rise. It was also found that the tensile load capability of the tubular single lap adhesively bonded joint decreased as the environmental temperature increased; however, it had no correlation with the volume fraction of filler because of the effect of the fabrication thermal residual stresses generated by the CTE difference between the adherend and adhesive.     

Relationship between residual stress and strength of single lap joints made of Ti6Al4V alloy,adhesively bonded and treated using pneumatic ball peening

The possibility of improving the strength of single lap joints (SLJs) made of Ti6Al4V alloys and adhesively bonded using Araldite 2014-1 with the help of pneumatic ball peening was investigated. The effects of pneumatic ball peening conditions on the joint strength and residual stress of the plates were determined using mathematical models, i.e. second-degree polynomials. A clear correlation was observed between the joint strength and the post-machining residual stress. Moreover, the stress values could be controlled. Pneumatic ball peening was found to be an easy and effective method for improving the joint strength (up to 57%) of SLJs.     

Benchmark tests on adhesive strengths in butt, single and double lap joints and double-cantilever beams

The RC99 committee of the Japan Society for Mechanical Engineers conducted the benchmark tests on strengths of adhesive joints using different testing methods. The effects of joint configuration, loading mode, adherend yield strength and so on, on the strength and data scatter were investigated using two typical epoxy adhesives. The strengths obtained by various tests were compared with each other. The relationships among strengths of butt, single lap and double lap joints and fracture toughness were given. Thirteen member institutes of the committee participated in this project. The benchmark results allow us to recognize that the joint strengths are strongly affected by the curing process. The key to obtaining the appropriate joint strength, is precise temperature control inside the adhesive layer for curing. Toughened adhesives do not always give higher joint strengths than untoughened adhesives. The yield strength of adherends much affects the observed lap joint strength of adhesives.     

Effect of protrusion at the ends of bondline in single lap joints under tension and bending

In this work, elasto-plastic stress analysis of single lap joints with and without protrusion in adhesive bondline subjected to tension and bending was carried out using 2D non-linear finite element analysis and confirmed experimentally. AA 2024-T3 aluminum adherends were bonded with SBT 9244 film adhesive. The protrusion was obtained by extending the adhesive film by 2?mm from the overlap length at both overlap ends. Three different adherend thicknesses and overlap lengths for each loading and bondline type were used. The joints with and without protrusion, for comparison, were loaded with the same load for each adherend thickness and overlap length. Finally, it was observed that the protrusion reduces the strength in the joint under tension, while the protrusion increases the strength in the joint under bending.     

The behaviour of single lap joints under bending loading

Four-point bend tests were performed on single lap joints with hard steel adherends and a structural epoxy adhesive. The effect of the overlap, the adherend thickness and the adhesive thickness was studied. It was found that the length of the overlap has no significant effect on the strength of the joints. This is because the load transfer is occurring in a very localised area around the edges of the overlap, being the failure governed by peel mechanisms. The thickness of the adherends strongly affects the strength of the joints. The thicker the adherend, the stronger is the joint. The experimental results are compared with a finite element model and reinforce the fact that the failure takes place due to local strains at the ends of the overlap in tension. An analytical model is also given to predict in a simple but effective way the joint strength and its dependence on the adherend thickness.     

Residual static strength and the fracture initiation path in adhesively bonded joints weakened with interfacial edge pre-crack

This paper deals with the application of fracture mechanics approaches for predicting the residual static strength and the crack kinking angle of adhesively bonded joints containing interfacial edge pre-cracks. The interfacial cracks are created due to different factors such as inappropriate surface preparation which cause a significant reduction of the joint strength. To investigate the residual strength of interfacial cracked adhesive joints and predict the crack kinking angle, three different approaches including the maximum tangential stress (MTS), the minimum strain energy density (SED) and the maximum tangential strain energy density (MTSED) were assessed. To this end, single lap joints (SLJs) containing a brittle adhesive material and with different pre-crack sizes and various substrate thicknesses were manufactured and tested. The results were also verified by applying fracture mechanics approaches on previously published experimental data. According to the results, it was concluded that in mode II dominant cases, the predictions of kinking angle using the MTS method was in good agreement with the experimental observations, while in mode I dominant cases the mentioned approach provided poor predictions. It was also found that the SED criterion could be a precise model for predicting the crack extension angle in mode I dominant conditions. The results also showed that the MTS criterion predicts the residual static strength of interfacial cracked adhesive joints very well.     

Numerical and experimental analyses of a fracture mechanics test for adhesively bonded joints

The use of a fracture mechanics test to evaluate the joint strength through the determination of the strain energy release rate G is nowadays well established. The joint strength for fluorinated polymer (PVDF) sheets bonded with an epoxy adhesive was studied using a double cantilever beam (DCB). In order to obtain small-scale yielding, the adhesive joint of the polymer specimens was strengthened by steel sheets. Pre-cracks were initiated at the center of the bond thickness separating the two PVDF surfaces, with nominal lengths ranging from 5 to 27.5 mm. We did not measure the evolution of the crack length, which is generally very difficult to obtain with good precision. The measurement of the load-point displacement was used instead. The opening load versus this load-point displacement was recorded. The slope of the first part of this curve gives the value of the initial stiffness of the joint specimen. The stiffness of the various specimens enables us to access the real experimental initial crack length, which was smaller than the nominal value, by comparison of the experimental values with the numerical ones. From the second part of the curve, the strain energy release rate values for the crack propagation in the initial step (G_l) and in the steady step (G_c) are deduced. They were calculated from a least-squares linear fit obtained from the load-point displacement versus the inverse square of the load curve. The experimental results are discussed in light of an analytical analysis using the thin beams approach, improved with an elastic foundation model developed by Maugis, describing the deformation of materials behind the crack tip, and of a numerical approach based on a finite element analysis. In this numerical model, an elastic-plastic behavior of the materials has been assumed. Analytical and numerical approaches are compared and their validity and limitations are discussed.     

台阶搭接铝合金接头应力分布的数值分析

用弹塑性有限元法研究了被粘物上台阶高度和长度对铝合金单搭接接头胶层中应力分布的影响。结果表明,被粘物自由端内侧的台阶使搭接区接头端部处的应力峰值显著下降,应力向搭接区中部转移;胶层中应力峰值大体上随着台阶高度的增大而降低,随台阶长度的增大而向中部转移;当台阶高度为0．5mm而台阶长度为4．5mm时,接头上胶层中应力分布较好。