Mechanical fastening of polymer composites

In structures composed of polymer materials and polymer matrix composite materials, components must be joined such that the overall structure retains its structural integrity while it is performing its intended function which can include both mechanical loads (static and dynamic) and environmental loads (temperature and humidity). The use of composite materials in complex structures almost always reduces the number of components in the structures compared to the use of metallic alloys for the same structure. Thus, using composite materials not only results in great savings in weight, but also through a reduced number of joining operations, results in significant savings In assembly, inspection, parts storage, and movement, resulting in increased reliability and lower cost. Yet joining is still required. Joining metallic structures is a mature technology involving riveting, bolting, welding, glueing, brazing, soldering, and other methods. However, for most polymer matrix composites only adhesive bonding and mechanical fastening can be utilized. Attention has been given recently, however, to localized welding of thermoplastic polymer matrix composites. Inherently, adhesive bonding is preferable to mechanical fastening because of the continuous connection, whereas in drilling holes for bolts or rivets, fiber or other reinforcements are cut, and large stress concentrations occur at each discrete fastener hole. However, in many structures, it is necessary to employ mechanical fasteners in order to remove components or to have access to the interior of the structure. Hence, both adhesive bonding and mechanical fastening are important in joining structural components of polymer or polymer matrix materials. The following is a review of much of the literature dealing with mechanical fastening of polymer matrix composite structures. Hopefully, it provides an overall introduction for detailed study of the referenced documents as well as others, and a catalyst for further research.     

Joining of polymers and polymer–metal hybrid structures: Recent developments and trends

The development of new materials and fabrication techniques has become a matter of success for industrial sectors such as transportation. Polymers, polymeric composites, and polymer–metal structures are being increasingly employed in several products mainly due to the associated weight savings. The main joining methods for polymer and polymeric composites are mechanical fastening, adhesive bonding, and welding. On the other hand, polymer–metal structures are more difficult to join by traditional joining methods, mostly due to their strong dissimilar physical–chemical features. Constant efforts on developing improved alternative joining techniques for these hybrid structures, such as the FricRiveting and injection over molding, have contributed to the dissemination of such structures in industrial applications. This work shows that the field of joining of polymers, polymeric composites, and polymer–metal hybrid structures for industrial applications is still a growing research and development area. This is due to the increasing aspirations for more environmental‐friendly technologies and lightweight materials. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers     

A review of the research and advances in electromagnetic joining of fiber‐reinforced thermoplastic composites

The demand for polymer composites in structural and nonstructural applications has expanded rapidly due to their lightweight, high strength, and stiffness characteristics. Joining of polymer composite is not an easy task as inadequate joint strength leads to failure of a structure due to stress concentration. The following are the three basic methods available for joining of thermoplastic composites: adhesive joining, mechanical fastening, and fusion bonding. Electromagnetic joining is a class of fusion bonding where electromagnetic force is used for generation of heat. Electromagnetic joining has gained new interest among the research fraternity with the development of thermoplastic composites. This type of joining or welding technique offers many advantages over other joining techniques. This joining technique can be used for assembly as well as repairing of thermoplastic polymer‐based composites parts. The main aim of this article is to review the different electromagnetic joining methods for thermoplastic composites and present the recent developments in this area. The electromagnetic joining methods such as induction welding, microwave welding, and resistance welding have been comprehensively discussed in the context of their applicability for joining of thermoplastic polymer‐based composites. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 59:1965–1985, 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Adhesively bonded composite tubular joints: Review

The aim of this review article is to examine solutions and challenges associated with adhesively bonded fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) pipe sections. FRP materials have been used in piping systems for more than 40 years. Higher specific mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of FRP makes it a potential candidate for replacing metallic piping structures. Another advantage of FRP structures is the large number of design variables available. Despite the advantages associated with FRP structures, their application is still limited, partly due to unsatisfactory methods for joining composite subcomponents and inadequate knowledge of failure mechanisms under different loading conditions. Adhesively bonded joints are attractive for many applications, since they offer integrated sealing and minimal part count and do not require pipe extremities with complex geometries such as threads or bell and spigot configurations. Normally, an adhesive joint results in more uniform stress distribution, undamaged fibre architecture, and smooth surface contours. In the present article, a comprehensive review of various joining techniques for FRP piping through adhesive bonding is presented and damage mechanisms for different loading conditions are examined.     

Influence of the mechanical behaviour of different adhesives on an interference-fit cylindrical joint

Hybrid adhesive joining techniques are often used in many industrial sectors to design lightweight structures. A hybrid adhesive joint results from the combination of adhesive bonding with other traditional joining methods such as welding and mechanical fastening, with the aim of combining the advantages of the different techniques and overcoming their drawbacks.This study focuses on the interference fitted/adhesive bonded joining technique. In this application, two cylindrical components are coupled together by inserting one into the other, after having placed an adhesive between them. Generally anaerobic acrylic adhesives, also known as “retaining compound” are used for this application. However the effect of the adhesive nature and of its mechanical and adhesive responses on the performance of the hybrid joint is still unclear. The aim of the present research is to improve the understanding of the behaviour of different adhesives, including rigid epoxies and flexible polyurethanes, in the presence of an interference-fit. Static strength of bonded and unbonded interference fit joints have been compared in order to investigate the role of the different adhesives.     

损伤金属结构件复合材料粘贴修补

近年来，用复合材料贴片修补有缺陷，含裂纹或被腐蚀的金属结构件已成为十分引人注目的研究和发展课题。复合材料修补比传统的机械焊接，螺接或铆接具有多种的优越性，其中包括改善疲劳性能，恢复刚度和强度，均匀修补局部的应力分布，密封联接，减轻重量和增强抗腐蚀能力等方面。本文综述了损伤金属结构件复合材料贴片修补研究和发展方面的最新进展，主要包括材料及其技术发展，分析模型的有关研究，实验性研究及其数据结果等。     

Laser ablation surface preparation for adhesive bonding of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites

Adhesive bonding of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) epoxy composites provides many advantages over mechanical fastening for assembling aerospace structures including weight savings, reduced manufacturing flow, and added structural efficiency. To ensure the reliability of bonded joints in primary airframe structures, the surface preparation method and execution are critical. Surface preparation is widely recognized as a key step in the bonding process and is one element of a bonding method that must be controlled to produce robust and predictable bonds in a precise and repeatable manner. Laser ablation of composite surface resin can provide an efficient, precise, and reproducible means of preparing composite surfaces for adhesive bonding. Advantages include elimination of physical waste (i.e., grit media and sacrificial peel ply layers that ultimately require disposal), reduction in process variability due to increased precision (e.g. monitoring laser parameters), and automation of surface preparation. This paper describes a surface preparation technique using a nanosecond, frequency-tripled Nd:YAG laser source. Lap shear specimens were laser treated and tested and apparent shear strength and failure modes of lap shear specimens were used to assess mechanical performance over a three-year accelerated aging study by exposing bonded specimens to 71 °C (160 °F) and 85% relative humidity.     

Review on adhesive joints and their application in hybrid composite structures

Composites have been used extensively in various engineering applications including automotive, aerospace, and building industries. Hybrid composites made from two or more different reinforcements show enhanced mechanical properties required for advanced engineering applications. Several issues in composites were resolved during the last few years through the development of new materials, new methods and models for hybrid joints. Many components in automobile are joined together either by permanent or temporary fastener such as rivets, welding joint and adhesively bonded joints. Increasing use of bonded structures is envisaged for reducing fastener count and riveted joints and there by drastically reducing assembly cost. Adhesive bonding has been applied successfully in many technologies. In this paper, scientific work on adhesively bonded composites and hybrid composites are reviewed and discussed. Several parameters such as surface treatment, joint configuration, material properties, geometric parameters, failure modes, etc. that affect the performance of adhesive bonded joints are discussed. Environmental factors like pre-bond moisture and temperature, method of adhesive application are also cited in detail. A specific case of adhesive joints in hybrid bonded-bolted joints is elaborated. As new applications are expanding in the field of composites joining and adhesive joints, it is imperative to use information on multiple adhesives and their behaviour in different environmental conditions to develop improved adhesive joint structure in mechanical applications.     

Effect of FRP Pipe Scaling on its Adhesive Bonding Strength

Polymer-based materials are emerging as a potential substitute for metallic structures in the oil and gas industry. In this context, fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) piping is one promising application. An important area of the research pertaining to FRP piping is the connection of pipe sections. Challenges associated with the joining of FRP tubular sections are often considerable, which limits more widespread industrial application. Adhesive bonding is emerging as a promising technique to join tubular FRP structures. The ability to maintain undamaged fiber architecture is a major advantage of adhesive bonding technology. In the present study a strength-of-materials as well as fracture mechanics approach was employed in conjunction with the finite element method to investigate the scaling effects on adhesively bonded tubular sections. It was found that the scaling effects in joined FRP pipe may be significant. For certain composite material configurations the analysis indicated a shift of the region of failure from the pipe structure to pure adhesive (cohesive) failure with increasing pipe diameter.     

A hybrid bondline concept for bonded composite joints

Based on the experience in the past and the occurrence of in-service damages, the authorities restrict today the application of adhesive bonding of composite structures for aircraft applications. However, certification limitations can be overcome if occurring disbonds within a bond are stopped by implemented design features, so-called disbond stopping features. Consequently, a novel bondline architecture for bonded composite joints is proposed. By implementing a distinct rather ductile thermoplastic phase, a physical barrier for growing disbonds is obtained and thus a fail-safe design, respectively. Moreover, the joint is established by using two different joining technologies, namely adhesive bonding and thermoset composite welding. A sophisticated manufacturing technique is developed for the hybrid bondline concept to achieve a high strength joint. The joint׳s quality is examined by means of several analytical methods like microsections, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-Ray (EDX) analysis. Additionally, the mechanical performance is evaluated by static Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) and Single Lap Shear (SLS) tests.     

Considering the possibility of bonding utilizing cold sintering for ceramic adhesives

Here, we introduce a new bonding technique that enables the joining of different materials at low temperatures and provides a bond superior to that of polymer adhesives at high temperatures, in temperature ranges between 250°C and 500°C. This technique involves a low temperature sintering process that is termed the “Cold Sintering Process,” where a dielectric composite powder material is sintered to function as the adhesive between two other materials being bonded. In order to characterize and further discuss the potential of this new bonding methodology, which we call Cold Sintering Ceramic Bonding (CSCB), we demonstrate the initial mechanical characteristics of samples with sandwich structures of mesh/CSCB/mesh, including four‐point bending, micro‐indentation, and adhesion pull tests. Where appropriate, we compare mechanical properties against low and high temperature epoxies and demonstrate that the CSCB matches up competitively with the epoxies at low temperatures and remains strong at temperatures well above those where standard polymer adhesives fail. Transmission electron microscopy show a high quality interface between a stainless steel plate and the ceramic after the CSCB.     

New hybrid method for simultaneous improvement of tensile and impact properties of carbon fiber reinforced composites

For weight savings of automobiles to improve fuel efficiency, tensile and impact strengths of carbon fiber reinforced composites (CFRC) are important properties required for substitution of metallic or ceramic automotive parts by CFRC parts. Effect of surface treatments of carbon fiber (CF) such as plasma, nitric acid, and liquid nitrogen treatments on interfacial bonding and mechanical properties of CF reinforced thermoplastic composites was investigated and nitric acid treatment was the best method to improve the interfacial affinity between the used CF and thermoplastic polymer matrix since the treatment induced acidic functional groups on the surface and increased surface roughness simultaneously. A new hybrid fabrication method was suggested by applying a bi-component two-layer structure to the film insert molding to improve tensile and impact strengths of CFRC simultaneously. Compared with tensile and impact strengths of the base polymer, those of the new hybrid composites filled with rubber particles and CF were improved by about 41.3% and 105.7%, respectively. In particular, tensile and impact strengths of the composite specimen prepared by the hybrid fabrication method were improved by about 15.0% and 36.0%, respectively when compared with those of the composite specimen prepared by the conventional melt mixing.     

Effects of particulate metallic phase on microstructure and mechanical properties of carbide reinforced alumina ceramic tool materials

Alumina-based composite ceramic tool materials reinforced with carbide particles were fabricated by the hot-pressing technology. Choice of metallic phase added into the present composite ceramic was based on the distribution of residual stress in the composite. The effects of metallic phase on microstructure and mechanical properties of composites were investigated. The metallic phase could dramatically improve room temperature mechanical properties by refining microstructure, filling pores and enhancing interfacial bonding strength. However, it also led to sharp strength degradation at high temperature because the metallic phase was easier to be oxidized and get soft at high temperature in air. The effects of metallic phase on strengthening and toughening were discussed. The improved fracture toughness of composite with metallic phase was attributed to the lower residual tensile stress in the matrix and the interaction of more effective energy consuming mechanisms, such as crack bridged by particle, crack deflection and intragranular grain failure.     

界面粘接对填充复合材料力学性能的影响

利用原位聚合的方法将聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯（PMMA）包覆在滑石粉的表面,制得了含PMMA粘接层的滑石粉／PVC复合材料。聚合物粘接层类似于粘接材料的粘接剂的作用,它很好地改善了复合材料的界面粘附性,提高了复合材料的机械强度,由于聚合物粘和基体聚合物的相互扩散以及界面内应力的存在,和昨合材料中存在一个最佳的聚合物粘接层。     

Strength prediction of T-peel joints by a hybrid spot-welding/adhesive bonding technique

The need of joining methods that best meet the design requirements has led to the increased use of adhesive joints at the expense of welding, fastening and riveting. Hybrid weld-bonded joints are obtained by combining adhesive bonding with a welded joint, providing superior strength and stiffness, and higher resistance to peeling and fatigue. In the present work, an experimental and numerical study of welded, adhesive and hybrid (weld-bonded) T-peel joints under peeling loads is presented. The brittle Araldite® AV138, the moderately ductile Araldite® 2015 and the ductile Sikaforce® 7752 were the considered adhesives. An analysis of the experimental values and a comparison of these values with Finite Element Method (FEM) results in Abaqus® were carried out, which included a stress analysis in the adhesive and strength prediction by Cohesive Zone Models (CZM) considering failure simulation of both the adhesive layer and weld-nugget. It was found that the Sikaforce® 7752 performs best in the bonded and hybrid configurations. The good agreement between the experimental and numerical results enabled the validation of CZM to predict the strength of adhesive and hybrid T-peel joints, giving a basis for reducing the design time and enabling the optimization of these joints.     

Joining composite pipes using hybrid prepreg welding and adhesive bonding

A critical technology for composite piping systems in offshore platforms is the joining technique. This paper discusses the development of a hybrid joining approach by using heat‐activated prepreg welding and adhesive bonding. The joining procedure was demonstrated via specimens' fabrication. Four adhesives, with varying mechanical properties, were used to seal the gap between the two pipes. A glass fiber reinforced prepreg was used to wrap the pipes. A total of forty‐five specimens were prepared and evaluated using standardized internal pressure tests. A finite element analysis was conducted to aid in the understanding of the mechanisms of the hybrid joining method. Recommendations for further studies were made based on the test and finite element analysis results.     

Mechanical Properties of Weldbonded Joints of Advanced High Strength Steels

In lightweight car body shell mass production, due to requirements on vehicle weight reduction and carbon dioxide emissions, joining of advanced high strength steels (AHSS) with different joining procedures and especially hybrid bonding techniques is becoming more and more important. One of these hybrid bonding techniques is the combination of resistance spot welding and adhesive bonding called weldbonding. One of the important advantages of weldbonded joints in comparison to resistance spot welded joints are the enhanced mechanical properties. To guarantee sufficiently high quality conditions regarding the strength of the weldbonded joints, the influences of the applied adhesive systems and of different base metal combinations are studied. This is carried out for both non-corrosive and corrosive environments and for the choice of different joining parameters settings. In particular, the mechanical behaviour of the weldbonded joints is investigated under quasi-static, impact and fatigue loads. Furthermore, the energy absorption of the weldbonded joints for both non-corrosive and corrosive environments is studied. It is shown that the weldbonded joints possess higher mechanical strengths in all load cases (quasi-static, impact and fatigue). Corrosive attack affects weldbonded joints, and the quasi-static strength is reduced. Resistance spot welded joints are not affected by the corrosive attack, but even after several weeks of corrosive attack, the quasi-static strength of weldbonded joints remains higher than that of resistance spot welded joints.     

Feasibility study on electrically conductive joining of MoSi2 electrodes for spark plugs

Despite the often outstanding functional as well as (high temperature-) mechanical properties of ceramics, their usage is often limited due to their inherent brittleness. This also compromises the joining with metals, which is often indispensable for engineering applications. In this context, electrically conductive ceramics like MoSi₂ are promising materials for the application as electrodes where high temperatures in harsh environments are present (e.g., in spark plugs for large gas engines). Due to the difficult joining of the respective materials, long-term experiments are thereby often still pending. In this work, adhesive bonding, brazing, tungsten inert gas-, and resistance welding were performed to evaluate their applicability for generating electrically conductive as well as mechanically reliable joints between MoSi₂ and Inconel 600, aiming to utilize MoSi₂ electrodes in spark plugs. Fractographic analyses are performed to understand cracks associated with the high (thermo-) mechanical stresses. Additionally, a finite element model was set up for a deeper understanding of the observed fracture behavior. While adhesive bonding is acceptable for short-term experiments at low temperatures, brazing and resistance welding may qualify for fast and reliable manufacturing of spark plugs with ceramic electrodes.     

Morphological and Mechanical Properties of Poly (Vinyl Alcohol) Doped with Inorganic Fillers

A number of polymer composite films using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as the preorganized polymer matrix were synthesized embedding different metal salts of transition elements like copper, cobalt, nickel, iron, cadmium, and zinc by a biomimetic route. The metal salts present in composites were reduced in situ to metallic form. The composites were characterized by FTIR, SEM, and EDAX. The SEM analysis confirmed the presence of nano-sized metal particles uniformly distributed in the polymer matrix. Mechanical properties were measured for various composite and PVA films. Significant improvement in some of the mechanical properties of polymer composites was realized in comparison with PVA.     

Effect of Surface Texture on the Adhesion Performance of Laser Treated Ti6Al4V Alloy

The growing demand in lighter and safer structures generates the requirement of lighter joining strategies, particularly for lightweight metal alloys, composites, and also joining dissimilar materials together. Titanium alloys stand out as the conventional choice for materials for light weight structures. Adhesive bonding of titanium is an appealing route for joint design, also for the possibility of joining it with dissimilar materials. The realization of a strong joint depends not only on the joint design and type of adhesive, but also on the preparation of the adhering surface. Laser texturing presents advantages compared to common surface preparation processes in terms of eco-compatibility, energetic efficiency, ease of manufacturing, and repeatability. This work presents a preliminary investigation on laser texturing of Ti6Al4 V alloy with a pulsed fiber laser source with the aim to increase surface adhesion for bonding. Particularly, different surface textures are proposed, and laser machining strategies are developed. The results showed that laser texturing provided up to eightfold and 30% higher shear strength compared to plain and sand blasted surfaces, respectively. Failure analysis showed that a margin of improvement is still possible by adapting the surface texture for better cavity filling and reducing surface damage caused by the laser treatment.