Characterization and modelling of the viscous behaviour of adhesives using the modified Arcan device

The non-linear behaviour of an epoxy adhesive has been studied thanks to the use of a modified Arcan test device. Multilevel creep tests have been performed in order to characterize the time-dependent behaviour. A visco-elastic model has been chosen to describe the behaviour of the adhesive. This model is based on the decomposition of the visco-elastic strain into elementary viscous mechanisms. The non-linear behaviour of the visco-elasticity is taken into account thanks to a non-linear function which depends on the stress. A specific identification procedure based on a single test has been proposed. Finally, the model has been validated using tests that have not been used for the identification. The model proposed in this paper enables the time-dependent non-linear behaviour of adhesives to be reproduced in a correct manner.