Experimental and cohesive zone modelling study on composite joining by co-curing and adhesive bonding for sheet moulding compound or carbon-fibre prepreg laminates

Material selection plays an important part in engineering as the chosen material impacts not only performance but also the final cost of a component. Engineering has evolved to a point in which it allows manipulation of base materials to meet specific design and functional requirements. The present work experimentally and numerically studies the adhesion of both sheet moulding compound composites, and carbon fibre reinforced composites, using the single-lap joint geometry. Two grades of sheet moulding compound were studied, and two bonding methods were used: co-curing and adhesive bonding. Numerical analysis by cohesive zone modelling, after estimating the adhesive and composite interlayer properties, enabled predicting the maximum load and fracture mode. The cohesive zone modelling results were accurate, and the best joining solution involved co-curing the CFRP adherends, while all sheet moulding compound adhesive joints failed to attain the full adhesives' capacity due to premature substrate tensile failure.

Automated summary

Material selection is crucial in engineering as it affects performance and cost. This study investigates the adhesion of sheet moulding compound composites and carbon fibre reinforced composites through experiments and numerical analysis, and identifies the best joining solution.