Characterization of adhesive joints under high-speed normal impact: Part I – Experimental studies

Abstract This two-part article presents an experimental method with numerical verification of the characterization of adhesive bonds under normal impact loading. Part I presents experimental results of the mechanical behavior of two different adhesives (a methacrylate and an epoxy). Though the two adhesives have similar static behavior, their impact strengths are significantly different. Thus adhesives that are to be used under impact loading need their own dynamic characterization tests. Here we present an impact test that is analogous to the commonly used blister test for static adhesive testing. One major advantage of the present impact test is that existing apparatus and methods that are currently used for ballistic penetration can be readily adopted for the proposed dynamic test. The average dynamic stress as well as energy absorbed by the adhesive are experimentally determined by the proposed method.