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.     

Novel Method to Measure the Creep Strength of Adhesively Bonded Butt Joints Subjected to Constant Loading Using a Hydro-Pneumatic Testing Machine

This article proposes a new method to measure the creep strength of adhesively bonded joints using a hydro-pneumatic testing machine and a specimen holder, on which multi-specimens can be mounted in one testing machine. Creep tests were conducted on stainless steel butt joints bonded with epoxy adhesives. A hydro-pneumatic loading system was introduced to avoid successive failures of multi-specimens as well as to achieve a stable and constant loading through the experiments. Even after a failure occurs in one of the joints and thus generates an impact, the loading system is capable of absorbing the shock so that the other remaining joints do not fail simultaneously. It was experimentally verified that choke valves, which were introduced in the hydraulic circuit of the system, worked as a damper when failure occurred. Additionally, it was established that automatic reloading to the remaining specimens after the failure was short enough compared with the creep rupture time. As this new method relates to the efficiency of creep testing, the utility of the proposed approach with the multi-specimen setup has been verified.     

Crack Path Selection in Adhesively-Bonded Joints: The Role of Material Properties

This paper investigates the role of material properties on crack path selection in adhesively bonded joints. First, a parametric study of directionally unstable crack propagation in adhesively-bonded double cantilever beam specimens (DCB) is presented. The results indicate that the characteristic length of directionally unstable cracks varies with the Dundurs' parameters characterizing the material mismatch. Second, the effect of interface properties on crack path selection is investigated. DCB specimens with substrates treated using various surface preparation methods are tested under mixed mode fracture loading to determine the effect of interface properties on the locus of failure. As indicated by the post-failure analyses, debonding tends to be more interfacial as the mode II fracture component in the loading increases. On the other hand, failures in specimens prepared with more advanced surface preparation techniques appear more cohesive for given loading conditions. Using a high-speed camera to monitor the fracture sequence, DCB specimens are tested quasi-statically and the XPS analyses conducted on the failure surfaces indicate that the effect of crack propagation rate on the locus of failure is less significant when more advanced surface preparation techniques are used. The effect of asymmetric interface property on the behavior of directionally unstable crack propagation in adhesive bonds is also investigated. Geometrically-symmetric DCB specimens with asymmetric surface pretreatments are prepared and tested under low-speed impact. As indicated by Auger depth profile results, the centerline of the crack trajectory shifts slightly toward the interface with poor adhesion due to the asymmetric interface properties. Third, through varying the rubber content in the adhesive, DCB specimens with various fracture toughnesses are prepared and tested. An examination of the failure surfaces reveals that directionally unstable crack propagation is more unlikely to occur as the toughness of the adhesive increases, which is consistent with the analytical predictions that were discussed using an energy balance model.     

Crack Path Selection in Adhesively-Bonded Joints: The Role of Material Properties

This paper investigates the role of material properties on crack path selection in adhesively bonded joints. First, a parametric study of directionally unstable crack propagation in adhesively-bonded double cantilever beam specimens (DCB) is presented. The results indicate that the characteristic length of directionally unstable cracks varies with the Dundurs' parameters characterizing the material mismatch. Second, the effect of interface properties on crack path selection is investigated. DCB specimens with substrates treated using various surface preparation methods are tested under mixed mode fracture loading to determine the effect of interface properties on the locus of failure. As indicated by the post-failure analyses, debonding tends to be more interfacial as the mode II fracture component in the loading increases. On the other hand, failures in specimens prepared with more advanced surface preparation techniques appear more cohesive for given loading conditions. Using a high-speed camera to monitor the fracture sequence, DCB specimens are tested quasi-statically and the XPS analyses conducted on the failure surfaces indicate that the effect of crack propagation rate on the locus of failure is less significant when more advanced surface preparation techniques are used. The effect of asymmetric interface property on the behavior of directionally unstable crack propagation in adhesive bonds is also investigated. Geometrically-symmetric DCB specimens with asymmetric surface pretreatments are prepared and tested under low-speed impact. As indicated by Auger depth profile results, the centerline of the crack trajectory shifts slightly toward the interface with poor adhesion due to the asymmetric interface properties. Third, through varying the rubber content in the adhesive, DCB specimens with various fracture toughnesses are prepared and tested. An examination of the failure surfaces reveals that directionally unstable crack propagation is more unlikely to occur as the toughness of the adhesive increases, which is consistent with the analytical predictions that were discussed using an energy balance model.     

Determination of the impact tensile strength of structural adhesive butt joints with a modified split Hopkinson pressure bar

The impact tensile strength of structural adhesive butt joints was determined with a modified split Hopkinson pressure bar using hat-shaped specimens. A typical two-part structural epoxy adhesive (Scotch weld^® DP-460) and two different adherend materials (Al alloy 7075-T6 and commercially pure titanium) were used in the adhesion tests. The impact tensile strength of adhesive butt joints with similar adherends was evaluated from the peak value of the applied tensile stress history. The corresponding static tensile strengths were measured on an Instron testing machine using joint specimens of the same geometry as those used in the impact tests. An axisymmetric finite element analysis was performed to investigate the static elastic stress distributions in the adhesive layer of the joint specimens. The effects of loading rate, adherend material and adhesive thickness on the joint tensile strength were examined. The joint tensile strength was clearly observed to increase with the loading rate up to an order of 10⁶ MPa/s, and decrease gradually with the adhesive thickness up to nearly 180 μm, depending on the adherend materials used. The loading rate dependence of the tensile strength was herein discussed in terms of the dominant failure modes in the joint specimens after static and impact testing.     

The Use of a Modified Mixed Mode Bending Test for Characterization of Mixed-mode Fracture Behavior of Adhesively Bonded Metal Joints

This paper summarizes recent mixed-mode I and II fracture experiments on adhesively bonded metal joints using a modified mixed-mode bending (MMB) test fixture and double cantilever beam (DCB)-type specimens. The MMB test had been previously developed and used for mixed-mode I and II delamination testing of composite laminates, but in the present research it is adapted and modified for fracture testing of adhesively bonded joints with metallic adherends. Strain energy release rates were evaluated by the use of improved analytical models. Mixed-mode fracture behavior of AA5754-0 aluminum alloy specimens bonded with a tough one-part epoxy adhesive (Dow Automotive Betamate 4601 ® ) was characterized.     

Effect of Flaws in the Adhering Interface on the Strength of Adhesive-bonded Butt Joints

This paper presents the strength of metal-to-metal bonded joints with a flaw in the interface between the adhesive layer and the adhering surface of adherend. The test specimens of butt joints are prepared by bonding two thin-wall metal tubes. The materials are carbon steel, aluminum alloy, brass and copper. The adhesive is epoxy resin. The tensile and shear strength of the joints are experimentally determined by subjecting the specimens to axial load and torsion for various flaw sizes and thickness of adhesive layers. Linear elastic fracture mechanics is applied to the experimental results. The stress intensity factors for a layered composite with a flaw in the interface are numerically calculated in terms of flaw size and loading by using Erdogan's formulas. The fracture stresses of joints with a flaw are predicted at the critical values of the stress intensity factors. The strength of joints without a flaw is also correlated with the stress intensity factors by use of a concept of “effective flaw size”.     

EVALUATION OF THE LONG-TERM DURABILITY OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE POLYIMIDE ADHESIVES FOR BONDING TITANIUM

This study was conducted to investigate the performance of the Ti-6Al-4V/FM-5 adhesive bonded system for potential applications on high-speed aircraft. The long-term environmental aging effects on Ti-6Al-4V/FM-5 bonded joints and neat FM-5 and PETI-5 resin specimens were investigated. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and uniaxial tensile testing using dogbone samples were performed on neat FM-5 and PETI-5 resin specimens before and after high-temperature aging in both ambient and reduced pressure environments. Mode I fracture testing was also performed on beam specimens fabricated with mat-scrim-cloth-supported films of FM-5 adhesive bonding titanium adherends prior to and after environmental aging. Experimental results revealed that both physical aging, which is reversible, and irreversible chemical aging took place simultaneously in the adhesive systems, and both types of aging could contribute to loss in adhesive bond performance. Furthermore, the properties of several different Ti-6Al-4V/FM-5 systems, prepared using different surface pretreatment methods and different supportive matrices of FM-5 resin, were compared in this study, and the effect of mode-mixity on the fracture toughness of the adhesive-bonded systems was also evaluated by conducting double cantilever beam (DCB), end-notched flexure (ENF), and mixed-mode flexure (MMF) tests. The creep behavior of the Ti/FM-5 bonded joint was also investigated by performing thick adherend shear tests.     

EVALUATION OF THE LONG-TERM DURABILITY OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE POLYIMIDE ADHESIVES FOR BONDING TITANIUM

This study was conducted to investigate the performance of the Ti-6Al-4V/FM-5 adhesive bonded system for potential applications on high-speed aircraft. The long-term environmental aging effects on Ti-6Al-4V/FM-5 bonded joints and neat FM-5 and PETI-5 resin specimens were investigated. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and uniaxial tensile testing using dogbone samples were performed on neat FM-5 and PETI-5 resin specimens before and after high-temperature aging in both ambient and reduced pressure environments. Mode I fracture testing was also performed on beam specimens fabricated with mat-scrim-cloth-supported films of FM-5 adhesive bonding titanium adherends prior to and after environmental aging. Experimental results revealed that both physical aging, which is reversible, and irreversible chemical aging took place simultaneously in the adhesive systems, and both types of aging could contribute to loss in adhesive bond performance. Furthermore, the properties of several different Ti–6Al-4V/FM-5 systems, prepared using different surface pretreatment methods and different supportive matrices of FM-5 resin, were compared in this study, and the effect of mode-mixity on the fracture toughness of the adhesive-bonded systems was also evaluated by conducting double cantilever beam (DCB), end-notched flexure (ENF), and mixed-mode flexure (MMF) tests. The creep behavior of the Ti/FM-5 bonded joint was also investigated by performing thick adherend shear tests.     

Effect of creep on the mode II residual fracture energy of adhesives

Viscous flow that often occurs in adhesive materials leads to a permanent deformation when adhesives are subjected to creep loading. Creep loading has a significant influence on the strength of bonded structures. Due to the viscous behavior, the fracture energy also may change with time for joints that experience creep loading in service. In this work the effects of two creep parameters (creep load and time) on the residual mode II fracture energy of an adhesive was investigated using end notched flexure (ENF) specimens. To achieve this, ENF samples were subjected to different creep loading levels at different creep times followed by quasi static tests to obtain the residual shear fracture energy of the adhesive. Experimental results showed that pre-creep loading of the bonded structures can significantly improve the fracture energy and the static strength of the joints.     

Strength of Adhesively-Bonded Butt Joints of Tubes Subjected to Combined High-Rate Loads

The dynamic strength of adhesively-bonded joints was investigated experimentally. The strength of the bonded joints under combined high rate loading was measured using the clamped Hopkinson bar method. Tubular butt joints bonded by epoxy resin were used for the experiment. Combined stress waves of tension and torsion were applied to the specimens. The strength of the adhesively-bonded joint was determined by measuring the stress waves propagated in the load output tube of the specimen. It was found that the dynamic strength of the adhesive joints was greater than the static strength under tensile and shear load.     

Experimental and numerical investigations of crack face adhesive bonding effect on the mixed-mode fracture strength of PMMA

Experimental and numerical investigations have been conducted to evaluate the effect of adhesive bonding of crack surfaces on the mixed-mode (I and II) fracture strength and effective stress intensity geometry/loading factor of a plate with an edge crack. The experimental tests were carried out on five batches of simple edge crack and specimens in which adhesive bonding was used on crack faces at different distances from the crack tip. The cracked specimens made from poly methyl-methacrylate rectangular plates. The specimens’ fracture strength was obtained by employing a tensile testing machine at different loading angles using a modified Arcan fixture. In the numerical part, finite element simulations were used to model the test specimens and thereby establishing their stress intensity geometry/loading factors. The results show that the adhesive bonding of the crack surfaces has a significant effect on reducing the equivalent mixed-mode stress intensity factor for all loading angles. The bonded specimens show considerable fracture force enhancement compared to the simple edge crack specimens.     

Characterising bonded joints with a thick and flexible adhesive layer–Part 1: Fracture testing and behaviour

Adhesively bonded structural joints have increasingly found applications in automotive primary structures, joining dissimilar lighter-weight materials. Low-modulus rubbery adhesives are attracting rising interest as an alternative to conventional rigid structural adhesives due to benefits such as the excellent impact resistance they provide. This paper is the first of two parts that investigate, both experimentally and numerically, the mechanical behaviour of a rubbery adhesive and the bonded joints to be used in a lightweight automobile structure. This part 1 paper characterises the fracture behaviour of the flexible adhesive layer with thick bondlines and presents a way to reliably determine the fracture mechanics parameters under a range of loading modes. Assessment of the various fracture tests indicated that DCB and SLB should provide mode I and mixed mode fracture energies but that the conventional ENF for mode II would not be practical for such compliant adhesive layers. Instead a cracked thick adherend shear specimen was developed and used. Reliable fracture energies were obtained from these specimens and a mixed mode fracture criterion developed for application in the part 2 paper.     

Fracture Mechanics of Linearly Welded Wood Joints: Effect of Wood Species and Grain Orientation

The energy release rates of beech, oak and pine wood specimens welded by linear friction were determined using double cantilever beam (DCB) tests. The influence of grain orientation both in welding along the wood longitudinal direction as well as in end-grain-to-end-grain welding to give butt joints was determined. The analysis of results was done with the experimental compliance method, based on linear-elastic fracture mechanics. The energy release rates obtained varied considerably according to wood grain orientation, wood species and welding cycle used. In many cases, the energy release rates obtained with the recently developed 150 Hz/faster weld technology were in the range as obtained for adhesive-bonded wood joints. Some cases also gave energy release rates higher than adhesive-bonded joints. Welding of butt joints by end-grain-to-end-grain welding was achieved, although the joints presented much lower energy release rates. In butt joints there appeared to be no significant difference in the energy release rates obtained for the three different timber species used.     

Measurement of Mode I and Mode II Fracture Properties of Wood-Bonded Joints

In this work, the fracture characterisation of wood-bonded joints under pure mode I and mode II loading was performed. The tested material was maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) bonded with an epoxy adhesive. Two fracture mechanical tests were chosen: the double cantilever beam (DCB) for opening mode I loading, and the end-notched flexure (ENF) for sliding mode II loading. The compliance-based beam method (CBBM) was used for both mode I and mode II fracture, since the Resistance-curves can be obtained directly from the global mechanical response of the specimens (load–displacement curve), without crack monitoring during propagation. This data reduction scheme was validated by direct comparison with the modified experimental compliance method (MECM).     

Strength of cylindrical butt joints bonded with epoxy adhesives under combined static or high-rate loading

The influence of loading rates and the combined stress states of tension and shearing on the strength, strain, and absorbed energy of an adhesively bonded joint was experimentally investigated. Cylindrical butt joint specimens were prepared and strength tests were performed on the specimens with a servo-controlled hydraulic testing machine that combined tension and torsion loading. Two types of epoxy adhesives, ductile and brittle, were applied to the specimens. The tests were performed under a quasi-static condition of 6.67×10⁻² MPa/s and a high-rate loading condition of 1.00×10³ MPa/s. The results of the combined loading tests showed that the states of the fractured surfaces were not affected by the loading rates. As for the ratio of tensile and shear loading, adhesive failure tended to partially occur when the ratio of shear loading was very high. The strength points for the specimens bonded with each adhesive were distributed in a stress plane of tension and shearing and could be fitted with a curve that was described by an equation with exponential parameters that were not influenced by the strain rate; however, other parameters that described the intercepts were influenced. The failure strains and absorbed energies for the brittle adhesive were slightly dependent on the strain rate, but this dependency was unclear for the ductile adhesive.     

Effect of Adherend Thickness and Mixed Mode Loading on Debond Growth in Adhesively Bonded Composite Joints

Symmetric and unsymmetric double cantilever beam (DCB) specimens were tested and analyzed to assess the effect of (1) adherend thickness and (2) a predominantly mode I mixed mode loading on cyclic debond growth and static fracture toughness. The specimens were made of unidirectional composite (T300/5208) adherends bonded together with EC3445 structural adhesive. The thickness was 8, 16 or 24 plies. The experimental results indicated that the static fracture toughness increases and the cyclic debond growth rate decreases with increasing adherend thickness. This behavior was related to the length of the plastic zone ahead of the debond tip. For the symmetric DCB specimens, it was further found that displacement control tests resulted in higher debond growth rates than did load control tests. While the symmetric DCB tests always resulted in cohesive failures in the bondline, the unsymmetric DCB tests resulted in the debond growing into the thinner adherend and the damage progressing as delamination in that adherend. This behavior resulted in much lower fracture toughness and damage growth rates than found in the symmetric DCB tests.     

A New Test Methodology for Simultaneous Assessment of Monotonic and Fatigue Behaviors of Adhesive Joints

Adhesive joints are normally subjected to different working conditions in their service life. This may involve both static and cyclic loadings. In many instances, a combination of various loading conditions occurs that can be further provoked by exposure to hostile environments. This, in turn, leads to the need to characterize the joint behavior under different combinations of working conditions. Extensive experimental tests are needed in order to evaluate the joint performance under such variable working conditions. This implies the development of low cost and efficient test technique, the one that is simple and reduces the operator time as well. With this objective in mind, a novel technique in mechanical evaluation of adhesive joints was developed in the present work. Alternative monotonic and variable-amplitude cyclic loads were applied on the same double cantilever beam (DCB) specimens under cleavage mode. DCB specimens were made from aluminum bars joined together by a two-part toughened structural adhesive. On one face, a series of crack detection sensors were bonded to control the test machine for switching between monotonic and cyclic loadings. The test machine had two aligned hydraulic actuators which applied bending forces on the upper and lower arms of the DCB specimen. The effects of test frequency and applied load history were also investigated within a range of 4–20 Hz for a nominal adhesive thickness of 0.5 mm. The fatigue performance of each configuration was represented by a power-law relationship and was compared for different test conditions. The test results revealed that the fatigue damage occurred at relatively lower load levels (35%) when compared with monotonic fracture load. The power-law constants for the tested adhesive were influenced by test frequency but were not sensitive to loading order.     

Numerical and experimental analysis of bonded joints with combined loading

The metallic materials bonding using structural adhesives has become an increasingly used process, presenting advantages when compared to other fastening methods such as screws and rivets. The aim of this paper is the numerical evaluation of bonded joints with combined loading (traction and shear) using the finite element method, comparing the results obtained with the experiments performed at the same configurations. Considering adhesive joints with the same bonded area, but with different linear dimensions, the mechanical strength may be different, which characterizes the shape factor. In this way, the analyzes considered the bonded area shape factor in nine different configurations, being modified both the height and the width of the joint, considering two points of force application for each group. For the numerical simulation, the cohesive zone models (CZM) were used, which use the concepts of linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM). These models consider that one or multiple interfaces or regions of fracture may be artificially introduced into the structures, which is done through the separation-traction laws. For this purpose, DCB (double cantilever beam) and ENF (end notched flexure) tests were performed, measuring this way the essential cohesive properties to the numerical modeling, especially the critical energy release in I and II modes (normal and shear, respectively). The influence of some cohesive properties on the maximum load of the bonded joint was investigated. The good numerical and experimental concordance in different configurations studied confirms that the CZM provide consistent results with the bonded joint experiments for the presented conditions of adhesive thickness, surface treatment and load application point, not only in single lap joints, but also in combined loading joints, whose investigation was done in this work.     

High-velocity impact behaviors and post-impact tension performance of 2D-C/SiC composite beams

2D-C/SiC composites have widely been used in aeronautical and aerospace engineering, but their mechanical behaviors under small-mass and high-speed impact have not been thoroughly studied yet. In this paper, 2D-C/SiC beam specimens were impacted by a single-stage light-gas gun and the fracture processes were captured by a high-speed camera. Post-impact internal and surface damage morphologies were scanned by a CT and a SEM, respectively. Similar damage modes were revealed by high-speed images. Subsequently, quasi-static post-impact tension tests were conducted to understand the residual mechanical properties. Acoustic emission (AE) signals of specimens were detected during the tests and then classified by the K-means algorithm. Therefore, evolutions of matrix damage, interfacial delamination and fiber fracture were recognized. At the same time, strain value was obtained by digital image correlation (DIC) method and main crack propagations were obvious in strain contours. A combination of the AE and DIC methods very well monitored the real-time damage during post-impact testing, which further revealed the damage during impact phase.