Disrupting Fracture Toughness Of Adhesively Bonded Joints By Tailoring Composite Substrates
Abstract
This work aims to improve the damage tolerance of secondary adhesively bonded joints under quasistatic mode I loading conditions by architecting the carbon fibre-reinforced polymer substrates’ stacking sequences [1]. Double Cantilever Beam tests show that architecting the stacking sequence of the laminates composite substrates in combination with the adhesive layer’s fracture toughness affects the crack onset and triggers different crack paths throughout the joints’ thickness. In specimens bonded with a low-toughness bi-component adhesive, the tailored design, including a co-cured toughening layer, could increase the effective fracture toughness of the composite bonded joints up to 200%. From this study, it was possible to recognise the complexity and benefits of moving from the traditional cohesive failure to outbreaking multiple crack path propagation.
Rosemere de Araujo Alves Lima
Postdoc Researcher
I am an MSCA postdoctoral researcher working on toughening and self-sensing strategies for smart, reversible adhesive joints. My research combines 3D printing, structural health monitoring, and multifunctional materials to enable the development of next-generation circular adhesively bonded composite structures.
Sofia Teixeira de Freitas
Principal Investigator
Sofia Teixeira de Freitas researches the structural integrity of bonded and layered materials to enable durable, sustainable structures. She is also an accredited group facilitator, committed to building academic environments grounded in cooperation and inclusion—key to overcoming technological limits and addressing the challenges of a truly sustainable society.