An evaluation of the elastic properties of an adhesive layer using the tensile-butt joint test: Procedures and error estimates

Simple analytical formulae have been reported in literature to extract basic elastic material properties of adhesives subjected to tensile load. This work investigates the errors connected with the evaluation of the tensile butt-joint test of adhesive technology based on these analytical formulae. The substrate deformation is incorporated due to a simple method based on Hooke's law for a uniaxial stress state. A parameter study for different combinations of adherend/adhesive materials has been performed to estimate the error for two different procedures, i.e. close to the adhesive layer and at the ends of the substrates, to measure the macroscopic strain. It is found that the application of extensometers close to the adhesive layer yields to an error of less than 0.2% if the substrate correction is incorporated.