Effect of autoclave cure time and bonded surface roughness on the static and fatigue performance of polyurethane film Adhesive Single lap joints

Abstract This study investigates the effect of autoclave cure time and bonded surface roughness on the static and fatigue performance of film-adhesive single lap joints. Joint static performance is assessed in terms of its load transfer capacity in a quasi-static tensile-shear test to failure. Effect on fatigue life under a mean and cyclic tensile-shear amplitude is also investigated. Two levels autoclave cure (soak) time and two levels of bond surface roughness are investigated. All other autoclaving process variables are kept constant; namely, the ramp rate of temperature rise/cooling, pressurization/depressurization, as well as the cure temperature and cure pressure levels. Test joints are made of aluminium-aluminium or aluminium-magnesium adherends, joined with a polyurethane film adhesive. The results suggest that: an increase of the surface roughness is beneficial to static strength and detrimental to fatigue strength; an increase of the autoclave soak (cure) time is beneficial both to static and fatigue strength. Test data, failure mode analysis, discussion, observations and conclusions are provided.