Measurement of Adhesive Bond Properties Including Damage by Dynamic Mechanical Thermal Analysis of a Beam Specimen

A method to obtain mechanical properties using a bonded (double) cantilever beam (or three point bend) specimen loaded in a manner to produce pure shear in the adhesive layer is reviewed. A revised mathematical solution which allows for easier interpretation of optimum beam dimensions to the one originally developed by Moussiaux, Cardon and Brinson for the static case is presented. An extension of this solution for a fixed/fixed viscoelastic beam under steady state oscillations developed by Li, Dickie and Morman is also discussed. Previous results using a vibrating beam to determine the complex viscoelastic properties of a bonded beam are reviewed. These results demonstrate conclusively that dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) measurements discriminate differences in surface treatments and various environmental conditions. New measurements are presented that indicate the DMTA procedure can be used to quantify damage simulated by imbedded flaws in beams. The procedure is also shown to assess the effects of both humidity and corrosive environments on lap specimens. It is suggested that this technique may ultimately provide a method to quantify the amount of hidden damage in an adhesive joint subjected to fatigue, moisture or corrosive environments.