The Use of Acoustic Emission and Composite Peel Tests to Detect Weak Adhesion in Composite Structures

Abstract

Adhesive bonding is one of the most promising joining technologies for composite aircraft. However, to comply with current aircraft certification rules, current safety-critical bonded joints, in which at least one of the interfaces requires additional surface preparation, are always used in combination with redundant mechanical fasteners, such as rivets and bolts. This lack of trust in bonded structures is mostly linked to the fear of lack of adhesion or a ``weak bond’'.

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.