Peel strength characterisation on ply/ply interface using wedge and T-peel/pull-type tests

Thermoplastic tapes have found a prominent place in automated tape placement (ATP), due to their reduced processing time. ATP also offers significant reduction in labour; however, the most attractive aspect is the use of its welding properties. Welding or diffusion bonding is necessary for two thermoplastic materials to bond to each other through the combined effect of heating and consolidation pressure. The work published in this article shows how various thermoplastic tape materials with different material properties are bonded to each other using a direct flame-type ATP process. Contact angle and differential scanning calorimetry measurements help understanding of the processing needs of the considered materials. The samples obtained after ATP are sent for peel testing using a wedge peel test principle, so that the force required to separate the bonding is identified. A T-peel test/pull test is also employed to cross-compare peel results obtained through wedge peel testing. The main aim of the work is to study the quality of connection between the two plies with different material interfaces and also how friction might contribute to peel force when wedge peeling is used. A numerical model is also implemented to show the effects of this friction.