Modelling the Fracture Behaviour of Adhesively-Bonded Joints as a Function of Test Rate - A Rate Dependent CZM is Required to Predict the Full Range of Behaviour

Adhesive bonding of lightweight, high-performance materials is regarded as a key enabling technology for the development of vehicles with increased crashworthiness, better fuel economy and reduced exhaust emissions. However, as automotive structures can be exposed to impact events during service, it is necessary to gain a sound understanding of the performance of adhesive joints under different rates of loading. Therefore, characterising the behaviour of adhesive joints as a function of loading rate is critical for assessing and predicting their performance and structural integrity over a wide range of conditions. The present work investigates the rate-dependent behaviour of adhesive joints under mode I loading conditions. A series of fracture tests were conducted using tapered double-cantilever beam (TDCB) specimens at various loading rates [1-2]. The experiments were analysed analytically and numerically. The full details of the analysis strategy employing analytical approaches for different types of fracture are presented in [1]. The numerical modelling of the TDCB experiments was performed using the finite-volume based package ‘OpenFOAM’ [3].