Strain-Energy Release Rate Analysis of Adhesive-Bonded Composite Joints with Prescribed Interlaminar Crack

Adhesive-Bonded Composite Joints Analysis with Delaminated Surface Ply Using Strain-Energy Release Rate

“…The strain energy release rate values for C/Ep and Gl/Ep are plotted vs bondline thickness to depict the purpose of the present analytical model in dealing with thick bondlines. These figures also show the comparisons of strain energy release rate among the present model, the previous model [5] that uses assumptions of thin bondline and uniform adhesive stresses through bondline thickness, and the finite element model using the VCCT. As expected, strain energy release rate values from different models show an excellent match for the cases of a thin bondline, whereas the previous thin-bondline model shows large deviations for thicker bondlines.…”

“…In the following failure analysis, the predicted failure loads were determined based on either G Ic , G IIc , or G Tc , where G Tc G Ic G IIc . To demonstrate the effectiveness of the present model, the failure loads predicted by the present model were compared with the failure loads predicted by the previous analytical model [5], which assumes a thin bondline with uniform adhesive stresses throughout the adhesive thickness. The same method used to determine the G Ic and G IIc by the present model was used with the previous analytical model to obtain the G Ic and G IIc used for the failure load prediction by the previous model, where G Ic 0:32 kJ=m 2 and G IIc 0:53 kJ=m 2 were used for the T300/E765 (C/Ep) laminate and G Ic 0:95 kJ=m 2 and G IIc 0:62 kJ=m 2 were used for the 7781/E765 (Gl/Ep) laminate.…”

“…Among researchers, Tong et al [2] and Tong [3] have shown the failure of adhesively bonded composite joints with embedded interlaminar cracks based on Williams's mode partitioning model [4]. Recently, Chadegani et al [5] have developed an analytical model based on the fracture-mechanics approach for calculating strain energy release rate of adhesively bonded composite joints with interlaminar crack for thin bondlines.…”

“…Wei et al [30] presented an improved VCCT to determine the energy release rate using a three-step analysis that was used also by Murthy and Chamis [31]. Contour integrals to compute the strain energy release rate have been employed, among others, by Fernlund et al [32], Yang et al [33,34], and Chadegani et al [5]. Yang et al [33,34] developed finite element models using the finite element software ABAQUS® [35] to estimate the J integral of an adhesively bonded joint with a crack.…”

“…Often times, either the adhesive/adherend interface starts to fail, as in the case of metal adherends, or the adherend starts to fail, as in the case of composite adherends. Failure of such joints at the adherend/adhesive interface with either thin or thick bondlines has been studied by Yang et al [33,34] and Chadegani et al [5] Because focus of the current study is on the surface-ply failure/delamination of the adherend, the failure is assumed to initiate at the surface ply adjacent to the adhesive, as shown in Fig. 2.…”