Development of an integrated sacrificial sensor for damage detection and monitoring in composite materials and adhesively bonded joints

Quality assurance of adhesively bonded joints is of vital importance if their benefits are to be exploited across a wide range of industrial applications. A novel lightweight, low-cost, non-invasive embedded sacrificial sensor is proposed, capable of detecting damage within an adhesively bonded joint, which could also be used in a laminated composite structure. The sensor operation uses changes in electrical resistance, increasing as the sensing material area diminishes with damage progression. Initial tests prove the sensor concept by showing that the electrical resistance of the sensor increases proportionally with material removal, mimicking the sensor operation. Thermography is used to verify the current flow through the sensor and that any localised heating caused by the sensor is minimal. Short beam interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) tests show that embedding sensors in a composite laminates did not cause a reduction in material interfacial structural performance. Finally, the in situ performance of the sensor is demonstrated in quasi-static tensile tests to failure of adhesively bonded single lap joints (SLJs) with sensors embedded in the bond line. Prior to crack initiation, an electrical response occurs that correlates with increasing applied load, suggesting scope for secondary uses of the sensor for load monitoring and cycle counting. Crack initiation is accompanied by a rapid increase in electrical resistance, providing an indication of failure ahead of crack propagation and an opportunity for timely repair. As the crack damage propagated, the electrical response of the sensor increased proportionally. The effect of the sensor on the overall structural performance was assessed by comparing the failure load of joints with and without the embedded sensor with no measurable difference in ultimate strength. The research presented in the article serves as an important first step in developing a simple yet promising new technology for structural health monitoring with numerous potential applications.

Prediction of Adhesively Bonded Polyurethane-to-Steel Double Butt Joint Failure Using Uncertainty Analysis

Adhesively bonded joint has gained increasing popularity due to weight reduction and relief of stress concentration. However, damage in the mode of adhesive failure and cohesive failure, as well as the adherend failure, could still occur, and it has been realized that the reliability of the adhesively bonded joint depends on numerous complex and even nonlinearly interacting factors. Consequently, the prediction of load-bearing capacity and damage localization for an adhesively bonded joint can be difficult due to the not well-known effects of the variations or uncertainties in the imperfected adhesive-adherent bonding surfaces or the environmental conditions as well as the material and geometrical nonlinearities. Although abundant uncertainties are present, the standard analysis tool in industries is still deterministic finite element analysis (FEA). The routine practice of such analysis is applying a cohesive zone model (CZM) implemented with a proper traction-separation law to predict the onset and gradual degradation of adhesion which may underpredict or overpredict the load-bearing capacity of an adhesively bonded joint. In this study, deterministic FEA with a CZM is first applied to predict the load-displacement curve of an adhesively bonded polyurethane-to-steel double butt joint. A comparison of the prediction with the experiment reveals the inability of a deterministic approach for accurately predicting the load-bearing capability of the joint and the failure propagation route. Then, uncertainty analysis using polynomial chaos expansion (PCE) is applied to examine if it can enhance the prediction of the joint failure. The results show the predictions generated by the uncertainty analysis correlate better than the deterministic analysis with the test data, hence demonstrating the potential of uncertainty analysis in improving the prediction of the failure mode and load-bearing capability of an adhesively bonded polyurethane-to-steel double butt joint.

A Review on Adhesively Bonded Aluminium Joints in the Automotive Industry

The introduction of adhesive bonding in the automotive industry is one of the key enabling technologies for the production of aluminium closures and all-aluminium car body structures. One of the main concerns limiting the use of adhesive joints is the durability of these system when exposed to service conditions. The present article primarily focuses on the different research works carried out for studying the effect of water, corrosive ions and external stresses on the performances of adhesively bonded joint structures. Water or moisture can affect the system by both modifying the adhesive properties or, more importantly, by causing failure at the substrate/adhesive interface. Ionic species can lead to the initiation and propagation of filiform corrosion and applied stresses can accelerate the detrimental effect of water or corrosion. Moreover, in this review the steps which the metal undergoes before being joined are described. It is shown how the metal preparation has an important role in the durability of the system, as it modifies the chemistry of the substrate’s top layer. In fact, from the adhesion theories discussed, it is seen how physical and chemical bonding, and in particular acid-base interactions, are fundamental in assuring a good substrate/adhesive adhesion.

Impact of manufacturing imperfections and surface defects on stress–strain behaviour of flexible adhesive joints

Precise adherence to the manufacturer’s instructions and requirements plays an important role in various installation processes. The presented paper deals with the evaluation of the effect of manufacturing imperfections and surface defects on the failure behaviour of flexible adhesive intended for façade application. The failure to comply with the accepted procedures is more common in construction practice than in other sectors of the industry, mostly due to the surrounding conditions and lack of trained supervision. Unfortunately, this may lead to premature failure of adhesively bonded joints and a considerable shortening of the service life of the entire construction. To determine the potential of the risk, five types of artificially applied (a) manufacturing imperfections: (1) application on wet adhesion promoter, (2) application after the expiry of the laying-time, (3) curing of samples at +1℃ (b) surface defects: (4) application on a wet substrate and (5) application on a dirty surface, were suggested. Moreover, the Taguchi L32 orthogonal array design was used to arrange the test setup of all possible combinations. The 1 K polyurethane adhesive was applied in tensile butt joints and single-lap shear joints composed of aluminium alloy and thermally modified wood substrates. The obtained results confirmed that non-observance of the required manufacturing techniques and recommended procedures can have a negative impact on the decrease of the adhesively bonded joint strength and deformation behaviour. Surprisingly, the most critical was not the combination of all suggested types of imperfections and defects. The performed one-way ANOVA revealed that the most perilous was the combination of types 2 and 4 in the tensile test with 77% joint strength reduction. In the shear test, the most critical was the combination of all types of imperfection and defects which led also to a 77% drop of shear strength.

Prediction model and parametric study on CFRP flat-joggle-flat hybrid (bonded/bolted) joints

As the weakness zone of composite structures, joints are of great concern. Adding fasteners in the bonded joint is another type of jointing, technology used in engineering. In this research, considering a new type of flat-joggle-flat carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) joint, a prediction model based on the commercial software ABAQUS was proposed to predict the joint load carrying capacity and analyse the joint failure modes. Tensile tests were performed to verify the validity of the model. Furthermore, the orthogonal design was applied to explore the effects of four kinds of factors on the hybrid joints. The results showed that the load-carrying capacity of the hybrid joint improved by 40.5% and 31.9% on average, compared with that of the adhesively bonded joint and the bolted joint, respectively. The carrying capacity for the bonded joint, bolted joint and hybrid joint predicted by the model has error values of 3.5%, 2.7% and 3.1%, respectively, which illustrates good accuracy with the test results. The width-to-diameter ratio appears to have the most substantial effect on the first drop load and the maximum load of the hybrid joint. The failure modes are influenced by the width-to-diameter ratio, edge-to-diameter ratio and stacking sequence.