The aim of this paper is to investigate the fatigue fracture behavior of three different adhesive systems (epoxy‐based, acrylic, and a rubber‐like adhesive). To achieve this, double cantilever beam specimens were manufactured with different adhesives and tested under several mode mixities and different load levels. Fatigue crack growth rate was evaluated through a Paris law equation. For postprocessing, the compliance‐based beam method was used. Results showed that the variation of the threshold energy with load level is more pronounced for the epoxy‐based adhesive. The crack propagation life is higher for the acrylic adhesive. Although, for pure mode I conditions, the normalized threshold of the rubber‐like adhesive is lower, for pure mode II, it was higher than the epoxy‐based adhesive. Due to the normalization by the static fracture energy, the slope of the Paris law was approximately constant for all the adhesive systems.

This paper presents an experimental research on the length and shape of the fracture process zone of rocks under mode I, mixed mode (I + II) and mode II loading conditions for different geometries of cracked specimens made of two types of rocks, using the digital image correlation approach. Single edge notch bending (SENB) and semi-circular bend specimens are the two geometries considered. In order to investigate the effect of the specimen size on the fracture process zone length, rocks with three different sizes are produced and tested. To investigate the effect of the mode mixity on the fracture process zone length of marble and sandstone, the specimens are tested under different modes of loading. According to the experimental results, it is found that the fracture process zone length changes with mode ratio, specimen size, geometry and the material properties. The fracture process zone length increases when the mode of loading moves from mode I to mode II. Experimental results also show that fracture process zone becomes longer for specimens with larger sizes. The fracture process zone is also affected by the specimen geometry.

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Depending on the expression used in Paris law relation, crack growth rate can be a function of loading conditions. However, for design purposes, it is costly and time consuming to obtain a complete map for fatigue crack growth behavior of adhesives. Accordingly, using a damage parameter where the Paris law constants are similar for different loading conditions is very helpful. In this paper, mode I crack growth (FCG) tests were performed at different loading conditions. Results show that performing one experiment would be enough to obtain Paris law constants if the effect of R ratio is considered in the relations.

Short fiber reinforced polymers are widely used in the construction of electronic housings, where they are often exposed to harsh environmental conditions. The main purpose of this work is the in-depth study and characterization of the water uptake behavior of PBT-GF30 (polybutylene terephthalate with 30% of short glass fiber)as well as its consequent effect on the mechanical properties of the material. Further analysis was conducted to determine at which temperature range PBT-GF30 starts experiencing chemical changes. The influence of testing procedures and conditions on the evaluation of these effects was analyzed, also drawing comparisons with previous studies. The water absorption behavior was studied through gravimetric tests at 35, 70, and 130 ∘C. Fiber-free PBT was also studied at 35 ∘C for comparison purposes. The effect of water and temperature on the mechanical properties was analyzed through bulk tensile tests. The material was tested for the three temperatures in the as-supplied state (without drying or aging). Afterwards, PBT-GF30 was tested at room temperature following water immersion at the three temperatures. Chemical changes in the material were also analyzed through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). It was concluded that the water diffusion behavior is Fickian and that PBT absorbs more water than PBT-GF30 but at a slightly higher rate. However, temperature was found to have a more significant influence on the rate of water diffusion of PBT-GF30 than fiber content did. Temperature has a significant influence on the mechanical properties of the material. Humidity contributes to a slight drop in stiffness and strength, not showing a clear dependence on water uptake. This decrease in mechanical properties occurs due to the relaxation of the polymeric chain promoted by water ingress. Between 80 and 85 ∘C, after water immersion, the FTIR profile of the material changes, which suggests chemical changes in the PBT. The water absorption was simulated through heat transfer analogy with good results. From the developed numerical simulation, the minimum plate size to maintain the water ingress unidirectional was 30 mm, which was validated experimentally.