Abstract
This paper introduces a new type of peel tests dedicated to composite bonding: Composite Peel Tests. This test is inspired on the standard floating roller peel test widely used for metal bonding. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential of the Composite Peel Test to assess interface adhesion in composite bonded structures. To this end, peel tests were performed with nine different types of adhesives and at two environmental temperatures, room temperature and +80°C. The results were compared with the standard floating roller peel tests with Aluminium adherends. The results show that when using the Composite Peel Test good interface adhesion results either in cohesive failure of the adhesive or intra-laminar failure of the composite, while bad adhesion results in adhesive failure. In most cases of good interface adhesion, increasing the temperature favors cohesive failure of the adhesive in detriment of intra-laminar failure of the composite. Peel strengths can be used as a quality indicator of interface adhesion only if using exactly the same type of flexible adherend (peeling-off member). Nevertheless, if cohesive failure is the dominant failure mode, the comparison between adhesives’ peel strength is consistent disregarding of the type of peel-off adherend. Composite Peel Tests are suitable to assess interface adhesion of composite bonded structures.
Highlights
The use of composite materials in aerospace industry has significantly increased in the last few years
The adhesive failure indicates a bad adhesion between the adhesive and the adherend, since the failure is at the interface between those two materials
Intra-laminar failure of the composite indicates good adhesion, since the failure is cohesive within the composite adherend and not at the interface
Summary
The use of composite materials in aerospace industry has significantly increased in the last few years. Adhesive bonding offers major advantages for joining composites, since it avoids the hazards of drilling holes in these materials (fibre breaking, stress concentrations, black dust, etc.). In order to avoid interfacial failure in service of bonded composite parts, it is essential to guarantee good adhesion properties at the interfaces. Industry practices should ensure that the composite parts are properly bonded together, and that this bond will endure. A cohesive failure when peeling-off the aluminium part ensures that the adherends are properly bonded and that this bond will endure.
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