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].