Prediction of long term strength of adhesively bonded steel/epoxy joints in sea water

This study is concerned with the development of a tool to predict the long term behaviour of adhesively bonded steel joints aged in sea water. First, diffusion kinetics and the mechanisms governing the degradation of mechanical properties of an epoxy adhesive are described. These two sets of data were used in a coupled finite element (FE) analysis to determine the stress state in double lap shear (DLS) specimens before and after aging. However, subsequent tests on DLS specimens indicated an adhesive and not cohesive failure mode, so this approach could not be used to predict failure in the present case without introducing an interfacial damage parameter. A second approach was therefore employed, in which modified Arcan samples were designed in order to identify directly how the failure envelope changed with aging. Tests were performed on these modified Arcan specimens under shear, tensile/shear and tensile loads before and after aging. The results from these tests have enabled a tension–shear failure envelope to be constructed, which may be used to predict failure in joints with more complex stress states. The application of a coupled diffusion–mechanical property approach is illustrated for the Arcan specimen loaded in tension, and its application to the prediction of failure behaviour after aging is discussed.     

On the effect of pulsed laser ablation on shear strength and mode I fracture toughness of Al/epoxy adhesive joints

The present work describes an experimental study about the shear strength and the mode I fracture toughness of adhesive joints with substrates pre-treated by pulsed laser ablation. An ytterbium-doped pulsed fiber laser was employed to perform laser irradiation on AA6082-T4 alloy. Morphological and chemical modifications were evaluated by means of surface profilometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Thick adherend shear tests were carried out in order to assess the shear strength while the mode I fracture toughness was determined using the double cantilever beam. For comparison, control samples were prepared using classical surface degreasing. The results indicated that laser ablation has a favorable effect on the mechanical behavior of epoxy bonded joints; however, while a + 20% increase was recorded for shear strength, a remarkable threefold enhancement of fracture toughness was observed with respect to control samples. XPS analyses of treated substrates and SEM observations of the fracture surfaces indicated that laser pre-treatment promoted chemical and morphological modifications able to sustain energy dissipation through mechanical interlocking. As a result cohesive failure within the adhesive bond-line was enabled under predominant peel loading.     

Comparison of the Degradation Mechanisms of Zinc-Coated Steel, Cold-Rolled Steel, and Aluminium/Epoxy Bonded Joints

The durability properties of bonded lap shear joints made from an epoxy/dicyandiamide adhesive and zinc, zinc-coated steel, two different aluminium alloys or cold-rolled steel metal coupons have been investigated. The influence of the dicyandiamide content of the adhesive on the durability properties-has been assessed by salt spray testing or by storing the joints in water at 70°C or 90°C for periods of time up to five weeks. The degradation products formed during ageing of the epoxy adhesive in water have been investigated using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFT). The degradation mechanisms of aluminium/epoxy bonded joints have been thoroughly studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

The performances of the bonded joints under a pure corrosive environment have been found to be little influenced by the quantity of dicyandiamide in the adhesive. When the bonded joints were aged in hot water, the stability of the interface toward an excess of dicyandiamide directly followed the sensitivity of the oxide layer at high pH values. Optimal durability properties without peel strength losses of the adhesive were aehieved both with zinc and aluminium-coated substrates by reducing the quantity of dicyandiamide in the epoxy adhesive by 20% (the initial dicyandiamide content in the commercial adhesive being ca. 9%, with respect to the epoxy resin).     

Analysis of the nonlinear behavior of adhesives in bonded assemblies—Comparison of TAST and Arcan tests

This paper describes a study in which the shear behavior of a structural epoxy adhesive has been measured using the standard thick adherend shear test (TAST) specimen and a modified Arcan test. A numerical study of the TAST test taking into account the nonlinear behavior of the adhesive and the finite deformations of the adhesive joint, shows that there is a localization of plastic zones close to the adhesive–substrate interface near the free edge of the adhesive. Experimental tests carried out with steel and aluminum substrates and with various adhesives also show that failure initiates in this region. These edge effects in the TAST fixture can lead to an incorrect analysis of the behavior of the adhesive (for instance, underestimation of the shear stress in the joint at failure), particularly when an adhesive failure mode is dominating. The modified Arcan fixture provides a more homogeneous stress state. A similar improvement of the TAST fixture is proposed.     

Failure of elastomeric sealants under tension and shear: Experiments and analysis

The mechanical behaviour of two elastomeric fuel tank sealants was investigated. Laboratory tests were conducted on two sealants, an epoxy cured polythioether and a manganese cured polysulfide. Tensile, planar tension and torsion tests were performed to characterize and understand the response of the sealants under quasi-static loading. Single lap joint tests in tension were also carried out using four different sealant layer thicknesses and two types of adherend (aluminium and steel). The adherends were either primed with an epoxy primer or otherwise conventionally treated (e.g. grit blasted). Experimental results showed a decrease in joint strength with increasing sealant layer thickness. Emphasis was given to the understanding of the failure and the prediction of the strength of the single lap joints. Predicted failure loads were derived by analytical calculations and finite element simulation of the joints.     

Experimental and numerical analysis of single-lap joints for the automotive industry

Lap joints are used extensively in the manufacture of cars. In order to determine the effect of using a structural adhesive instead of spot-welding, a detailed series of tests and finite element analyses were conducted using a range of loadings. The adhesive was a toughened epoxy and the adherend was mild steel typical of that used in the manufacture of car bodyshells. The lap joints were tested in tension (which creates shear across the bondline), four-point loading (pure bending) and three-point loading (bending plus shear). Various parameters were investigated such as the overlap length, the bondline thickness and the spew fillet. The major finding is that three-point bending and tension loading are very similar in the way in which they affect the adhesive while the four-point bend test does not cause failure because the steel yields before the joint fails. A failure criterion has been proposed based on the tensile load and bending moment applied to the joint.     

Design,development, and implementation of test methods for determination of through thickness properties of laminated composites

Abstract

Test methods for the measurement of through thickness elastic and strength characteristics of laminated composites in tension, compression, and shear have been investigated. Each method studied involved finite element analysis and practical testing on unidirectional carbon–epoxy laminated specimens. Tensile and compressive methods involved the direct loading of a parallel sided block for determination of elastic constants and a waisted specimen with square cross-section for the measurement of elastic constants and strength. Experimental results validated the numerical studies. The shear method consisted of a specimen bonded between steel plates, which were loaded in compression, inducing shear stresses in the specimen. Two specimen designs were developed. The first, for measurement of shear moduli only, was a parallel sided block. Specimen length and thickness were optimised for two fibre directions. The second design, for measurement of shear strengths, was a waisted specimen sandwiched between two epoxy blocks and subjected to a combination of shear and transverse compressive loading. Tests confirmed the validity of the shear moduli measurements. However, it was found that a pure shear failure mode was not achievable. Failure always occurred by a combination of shear and transverse tension.     

The shear strength of composite secondary bonded single-lap joints with different fabrication methods

Abstract

The shear strength of composite secondary bonded single-lap joints was studied in this article. To optimize the adhesive thickness and ensure stable mechanical properties, an improved mold was applied. Based on this mold, a total of 15 specimens (180 samples) were examined and they were fabricated with various overlap lengths, curing pressures, adhesive thicknesses, ply angles, and surface treatment methods. The experimental results indicated that the improved mold not only significantly increased the uniformity of the adhesive thickness but also enhanced the shear strength of the joints and the shear strength was improved by approximately 13% compared to that of conventional methods. Moreover, the shear strength was decreased in specimens with increased overlap lengths and increased in samples with an increased curing pressure. Furthermore, the shear strength of the specimens was also affected by the adhesive thicknesses, ply angles, and surface treatment methods. The mechanisms can be ascribed to the effect of the fabrication method on the failure mode. A facile platform for optimizing these parameters is provided in this article. Based on this platform, the shear strength of the joints was enhanced to 33.5?MPa.     

Bonding performance and fracture morphology of a hybrid multiscale epoxy adhesive on oil‐covered substrates

A hybrid multiscale epoxy adhesive reinforced with a combination of short carbon fibers and rubber nanoparticles was prepared for bonding oil‐covered aluminum substrates. The shear performance of the bonded joints was investigated as a function of the oil layer thickness. Scanning electron microscopy and energy‐dispersive X‐ray analysis studies were carried out to evaluate the oil‐diffusion behavior near the substrate–adhesive interface. The results show that the shear strength decreased, whereas the distribution range of the testing results increased as the oil layer thickness increased. When the oil layer was thinner than 10 μm, the oil‐accommodating adhesive could be used directly without degreasing, whereas over 96% of the bonding strength could be retained with almost no change in the failure probability. The analysis of Weibull distribution indicated that the shear strength and Weibull modulus were 18.89 MPa and 13.503, respectively. By analyzing the relationship between the shear strength results and the failure model of the fracture surface, we found a correlation. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 42898.     

The studies of physical properties of dimeric fatty acid-modified thiodiphenyl epoxy resins

A thermally stable thiodiphenyl epoxy resin was modified with a dimeric fatty acid at an epoxy resin:fatty acid molar ratio of 4:1. The thermal and mechanical properties of the modified epoxy resin were studied by preparing an epoxy composition with an amine curing agent and a catalyst, followed by curing at 170 °C to produce a neat plastic epoxy resin. The tensile and impact strengths of the resin indicated improved flexibility and toughness compared to other epoxy resins. Enhanced toughness was confirmed by the increased lap shear strength in single lap joints prepared with steel substrates attached by the resin.     

Comparison of fracture behavior between acrylic and epoxy adhesives

An experimental study was conducted on the strength of adhesively bonded steel joints, prepared epoxy and acrylic adhesives. At first, to obtain strength characteristics of these adhesives under uniform stress distributions in the adhesive layer, tensile tests for butt, scarf and torsional test for butt joints with thin-wall tube were conducted. Based on the above strength data, the fracture envelope in the normal stress-shear stress plane for the acrylic adhesive was compared with that for the epoxy adhesive. Furthermore, for the epoxy and acrylic adhesives, the effect of stress triaxiality parameter on the failure stress was also investigated. From those comparison, it was found that the effect of stress tri-axiality in the adhesive layer on the joint strength with the epoxy adhesive differed from that with the acrylic adhesive. Fracture toughness tests were then conducted under mode l loading using double cantilever beam (DCB) specimens with the epoxy and acrylic adhesives. The results of the fracture toughness tests revealed continuous crack propagation for the acrylic adhesive, whereas stick-slip type propagation for the epoxy one. Finally, lap shear tests were conducted using lap joints bonded by the epoxy and acrylic adhesives with several lap lengths. The results of the lap shear tests indicated that the shear strength with the epoxy adhesive rapidly decreases with increasing lap length, whereas the shear strength with the acrylic adhesive decreases gently with increasing the lap length.     

Identification of the Elastic–Plastic Behavior of Adhesively Bonded Structures Under Multi-Axial Loadings: Comparison of a Modified Arcan Test and a Tension/Compression–Torsion Test

Structural bonding is nowadays widespread in the industry. However, characterisation methods and 3D modelling of the adhesives need to be improved. The characterisation requires an experimental procedure to obtain a large experimental database under various loading cases, which represents a significant amount of data. The 3D modelling requires advanced models with several parameters to identify and generally uses inverse identification procedures, which can be time expensive. For a good accuracy, the constitutive models need to take into account the dependency on the hydrostatic stress and be written under the non-associated formalism. In this study, the experimental database is obtained via a modified Arcan test that can cover a wide range of loadings between tension, shear, mixed tension–shear, and mixed compression–shear. A second experimental campaign is realized with a tension/compression–torsion (TCT) test that can cover a greater range of loadings: from tension to compression and mixed tension/compression–shear, with an infinite possibility of mixed loadings. The modified Arcan database is used to identify a 3D elastic–plastic Mahnken–Schlimmer type model, according to an inverse identification procedure developed in a previous study. This model identification is validated on the experimental database coming from the TCT test: a numerical/experimental comparison is realized. This allows the validation of the model and emphasizes the benefits of the TCT test. Indeed, it proves that this test is well suited to characterize adhesive joints and presents several capacities that will be really useful for further studies, like an infinite range of non-proportional loadings available.     

Numerical study of the effect of carbon fiber/epoxy resin adhesive thickness on the creep behaviour of carbon steel plate joints

Nowadays, the use of adhesive and adhesively bonded joints have been considerably appreciated in the industry due to the dramatic reduction in bonding strength, reduced stress concentration, rust prevention, uniform bonding of the bonding surface and a significant reduction in costs compared to other types of permanent joints such as welding. In this study, the effect of adhesive thickness on creep behaviour of a single lap adhesive joint with the aid of Abaqus FEM software is investigated. It should be noted that the two-layer and two-dimensional models are considered, in which their adhesive layer is made of a reinforced epoxy resin with 0.5% carbon fiber and the adherend layers are made of carbon steel plates, which is affected by tensile forces. Since the main purpose of this paper is to study the effect of adhesive thickness on the adhesive joints behaviour, the effects of the distribution of shear stress, effective stress and creep strain were studied in different thicknesses of the adhesive layer. The results show that by increasing the thickness, the stress and the creep strain decrease, and over time, the stress decreases and the creep behaviour of adhesives increases.     

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.     

Evaluation of Mode-II Fracture Energy of Adhesive Joints with Different Bond Thickness

A study on the mode-II edge-sliding fracture behaviour of aluminium-adhesive joints was carried out. Compact pure shear (CPS) adhesive joints of different bond thickness were produced using a rubber-modified epoxy resin as the adhesive. An analytical model was developed to calculate the stress distribution along the bond line of the joint. A crack-closure technique was used to evaluate the mode-II strain energy release rate. G _II, as a function of the adhesive bond thickness. The results indicated that for a given applied load, G _II increased gradually with the bond thickness. A finite element model (FEM) was also developed to evaluate the stress state along the bond line and the strain energy release rate of the CPS specimens. Consistent results were obtained between the theoretical model and finite element analysis. Scanning electron micrographs of the fracture surface illustrated a mainly interfacial fracture path between the adherends and the adhesive for all adhesive joint specimens. The critical fracture load increased very rapidly with bond thickness in the range 0.02 mm to 0.1 mm but remained constant thereafter. However, the mode-II critical fracture energy rose more gradually as the bond thickness was increased.     

Strength prediction of adhesively bonded ferrite pillar–tin bronze plate under axial shear loading

Abstract

With the fast development of electronic, automotive and aerospace engineering in recent years, ferrite material has been widely used in devices including inductor, voltage transformer, filter and choke coil, etc. The proper characterisation on the mechanical capacity of the connection between ferrite and traditional metals has become a key issue for both industrial and academic fields. This work focused on the mechanical performance as well as fracture behaviour of adhesively bonded ferrite–tin bronze plate (FTBP), subjected to axial shear loading through experimental and numerical approaches. In the process, a new set of Arcan testing methods was developed for mechanical parameter determination of high flow epoxy adhesives. The material parameters of the epoxy adhesive connecting the ferrite pillar and bronze were experimentally determined. Curing mould was designed for the manufacture of the selected adhesive with high flowability in dumbbell tensile testing and Arcan testing under 0° and 90° loading directions. Quasi-static shear loading test was then conducted on bonded FTBP with a specially designed jig, and the failure surface was studied through optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations. Finite element (FE) modelling was carried out to simulate the loading process up to failure, where the crack propagation in the adhesive layer was modelled using cohesive zone model (CZM) with a bilinear traction-separation response. The experimentally measured and numerically simulated results of the adhesively bonded FTBP were compared with each other, proving the validity of the strength prediction approach developed in this work.

Abbreviation: FTBP: Ferrite - Tin Bronze Plate; SEM: Scanning Electron Microscope; FE: Finite Element; CZM: Cohesive Zone Model; CIR: Cold In-place Recycling; DIC: Digital Image Correlation; DCB: Double Cantilever Beam; ENF: End-notched Flexure; PTFE: Polytetrafluoroethylene; CTOD: Crack Tip Opening Displacement; SDEG: Scalar Stiffness Degradation Variable; DOF: Degree of Freedom.     

Effect of Adhesive Thickness on Joint Strength: A Molecular Dynamics Perspective

Recent studies suggest that adhesion in thin joints depends on several factors including temperature, interface toughness, strain rate, surface roughness of adherends, bondline thickness of adhesives, and many others. Influence of thickness on joint properties is surprising but experimentally well documented without reasonable explanations. In this study, we attempt to address the mechanical behavior of polymer adhesives by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. We show that interfacial strength of the joints in tensile, shear, or combined loading significantly depends on the coupling strength between adhesives and adherends. Failure of joints is always at the interface when coupling strength is weaker. With stronger interfaces, cohesive failure occurs by cavitation or by bulk shear depending on the loading condition. When joints are loaded in tension, it requires an exceedingly stronger interface to realize pure shear failure, otherwise failure is through interface slip. Under a mixed mode condition, interface slip is difficult to avoid. As long as failure is not at the interface alone, the yield strength of joints improves significantly with the reduction of thickness. Increase in bulk density and change in polymer configurations with the reduction of adhesive thickness are believed to be the two key factors in improving mechanical behavior of adhesives.     

Cleavage Strength of Steel/Composite Joints

This paper presents the experimental results of an on-going study to examine cleavage strength, particularly at the interface regions of epoxy adhesive with steel and glass reinforced epoxy (GRE) composite. The adhesion is characterised by mechanical testing of cleavage specimens. A standard specimen was modified to allow testing of hybrid joints. The effects of adhesive thickness and various surface conditions of both adherends were examined. Among key conclusions, the study found that cleavage strength is not strongly dependent upon adhesive thickness and that polished composite gives better adhesion compared with polished steel. Test results were analysed and compared with aspects of numerical analyses. The study has also established a new methodology to test hybrid adhesive cleavage joints.     

Cleavage Strength of Steel/Composite Joints

This paper presents the experimental results of an on-going study to examine cleavage strength, particularly at the interface regions of epoxy adhesive with steel and glass reinforced epoxy (GRE) composite. The adhesion is characterised by mechanical testing of cleavage specimens. A standard specimen was modified to allow testing of hybrid joints. The effects of adhesive thickness and various surface conditions of both adherends were examined. Among key conclusions, the study found that cleavage strength is not strongly dependent upon adhesive thickness and that polished composite gives better adhesion compared with polished steel. Test results were analysed and compared with aspects of numerical analyses. The study has also established a new methodology to test hybrid adhesive cleavage joints.     

The Effect of Glue-line Thickness on Bonded Steel-to-Steel Joints

The mono-wire joints composed of cylindrical steel to steel interfaces were used to investigate the effect of glue-line thickness with an epoxy structural adhesive. Compression and tension joints were concentrically constructed and after curing, axially loaded to failure. Nine glue-line thicknesses 0.001 to 0.100 in and five bond lengths were tested. The strongest joints were obtained with the thinnest glue-lines and increases up to 0.060 in diminished the strength by about 32% for both compression and tension specimens. From 0.60 to 0.10 in the joint strength was almost constant. Test results displayed C of V for the joint strength of between 6.89 % and 13.41 %. A relationship was found among mean breaking force, glue-line thickness and bond strength. In general, compression test pieces were slightly stronger than the tension ones.