Experimental investigation of adhesive layer properties

This paper dealing with investigations of adhesive layer characteristics and it is a part of our continuous research on adhesively bonded joints. Previous experimental analysis has shown that bonding of different adherend materials using the same adhesive leads to the different behaviour of adhesive. This effect is more evident in numerical modelling of adhesively bonded joints, especially in bonding of adherends of higher yield strength. To understand how adhesives work, it is necessary to understand their mechanical properties and the chemistry used to create those properties. The object of present investigation is therefore to research cohesive and adhesive characteristics of chosen structural adhesives in correlation with adherend materials to be bonded. In particular, two-component structural epoxy adhesive and aluminium as adherend material have been tested. The knowledge of adhesive and cohesive properties of the adhesive is necessary in strength calculation of bonded joints, especially in application of numerical methods such is the finite elements analysis (FEA).