Abstract
Joints and interfaces are one of the key aspects of the design and production of composite structures. This paper investigates the effect of adhesive–adherend interface morphology on the mechanical behavior of wavy-lap joints with the aim to improve the mechanical performance. Intentional deviation from a flat joint plane was introduced in different bond angles (0°, 60°, 90° and 120°) and the joints were subjected to a quasi-static tensile load. Comparisons were made regarding the mechanical behavior of the conventional flat joint and the wavy joints. The visible failure modes that occurred within each of the joint configurations was also highlighted and explained. Load vs. displacement graphs were produced and compared, as well as the failure modes discussed both visually and qualitatively. It was observed that distinct interface morphologies result in variation in the load–displacement curve and damage types. The wavy-lap joints experience a considerably higher displacement due to the additional bending in the joint area, and the initial damage starts occurring at a higher displacement. However, the load level had its maximum value for the single-lap joints. Our findings provide insight for the development of different interface morphology angle variation to optimize the joints behavior, which is widely observed in some biological systems to improve their performance.
Highlights
A composite material is engineered by combining two or more constituent materials which have significantly different physical properties, in order to produce a resulting material which displays noticeably enhanced features
These conclusions were reinforced in further studies carried out by Ayatollahi et al [25], who tested aluminum adherends with wavy interfaces under quasi-static and fatigue loading conditions. Their experimental results showed that the non-flat joints were noticeably stronger than the conventional flat joints. This provides a feasible basis for the study in this paper, which explores the performance of modified wavy-lap joints by employing varied bond angles for the adhesive bonded composite joints
This paper presents the fabricating and testing of these wavy-lap joints with different interface morphologies, along with the associated failure modes and load–displacement behavior
Summary
A composite material is engineered by combining two or more constituent materials which have significantly different physical properties, in order to produce a resulting material which displays noticeably enhanced features. Avila and Bueno [21] modified the previously investigated wavy-lap joint, which was tested under similar conditions. This provides a feasible basis for the study in this paper, which explores the performance of modified wavy-lap joints by employing varied bond angles for the adhesive bonded composite joints.
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