Abstract
The use of adhesive to bond composites in vehicles continues to increase. Due to hygrothermal conditions, both adhesive and composite properties can be altered, making the mechanical behavior of a joint unpredictable. The novelty of this work is the assessment of the behavior of joints manufactured using composite and aluminum substrates tested under quasi-static and impact conditions in the following states: unaged, hygrothermally aged, and dried after hygrothermal aging. A significant reduction of failure load was registered for composite joints (quasi-static and impact) after hygrothermal aging. Joints dried after aging achieved a recovery in the failure load of quasi-static tests.
Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the funding provided by PhD grant SFRH/BD/139341/2018 “Impact strength optimization with cohesive zone elements of multi-material bonded structures used in the automotive industry”, Project N° 028473 POCI-01-0145-FEDER-028473 “Design methodology for impact resistant bonded multi-material automotive structures (ImpactBondDesign)”, Project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000022 – “SciTech - Science and Technology for Competitive and Sustainable Industries”, co-financed by Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (NORTE2020), through Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER). The authors would also like to thank NAGASE ChemteX® for the financial support provided.