A study of the particle-reinforced bonded joint performance

Abstract

In this study, a systematic study has been performed to explore the influence of the adhesive particle fillers on the mechanical performance of bonded joints. Three-dimensional finite element models were established to analyse the strength of bonded joints. Based on response surface methodology, experiments were designed with three parameters and three levels. Experimental results were applied to develop response surface models between parameters (adhesive layer thickness, particle size, and particle volume fraction) and response values (shear strength and peel strength). Response surface models incorporating genetic algorithms were applied to find the optimal set of input parameters. These findings indicated that the interaction between volume fraction and adhesive layer thickness has the most significant influence on the shear strength of joints, and the interaction between particle size and adhesive layer thickness has a major effect on the peel strength of joints. The optimal set of process parameters is: adhesive layer thickness 0.54 mm, particle size 69 µm, and volume fraction 4.0%.