Abstract
Abstract Adhesive joints are easily cleaved by a wedge. The length of the crack that is produced characterizes the resistance to fracture, R , of the adhesive. It is known that the long-term resistance to fracture of an adhesive-bonded joint is affected by a humid environment. An attempt has been made to quantify this process by the study of cleavage in liquid water and the evolution of cleaved joints both in liquid water and water vapour. It was observed that water (liquid or vapour) as well as the water content of the adhesive lowers R and induces an apparently interfacial failure on polished surfaces. In the long-term, both liquid water and high humidity cause the debonding of cleaved joints. In effect there is a threshold of humidity at which water vapour accelerates the cracks. These observations are interpreted as an indication of two different processes in the debonding of adhesives, one occurring at high speed characterizes the initial strength of the joint, the other at low speed governs the durability of adhesive joints.
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