A Diagram for Evaluating Delamination of GFRP/Stainless-steel Adhesive Joints by Using Stress Singularity Parameters

Abstract

Static tests on double-lap and T-type adhesive joints were performed. We developed a device that applies contact pressure to glass-fiber reinforced plastics/stainless-steel double-lap adhesive joints. The device contains a bolt with which a strain gauge is bonded for controlling contact pressure. Using this device, we investigated the effect of contact pressure on the delamination strength of double-lap adhesive joints. We applied tensile shear loading to double-lap adhesive joints under contact pressure to their adhesive interfaces. We found that the delamination strength of the double-lap adhesive joints increased with increasing contact pressure. On the contrary, when we applied compressive shear stress to them, the delamination strength stayed constant. Therefore the delamination strength of double-lap adhesive joints is dominated by normal stress when contact pressure under tensile shear loading is applied. On the other hand, it was dominated by shear stress when contact pressure under compressive shear loading was applied. Then stress singularity parameters for double-lap and T-type adhesive joints were performed by the FEM. Stress distributions near the bonding edge could be expressed by the stress singularity parameters. Finally, a delamination evaluation diagram using stress singularity parameters was developed. This diagram enables us to evaluate the delamination strength of adhesive joints.