Damage Failure Analysis of Z-Pins Reinforced Composite Adhesively Bonded Single-Lap Joint

In order to study themechanical properties of Z-pins reinforced laminated composite single-lap adhesively bonded joint under un-directional static tensile load,damage failure analysis of the joint was carried out bymeans of test and numerical simulation.The failure mode and mechanism of the joint were analyzed by tensile failure experiments.According to the experimental results,the joint exhibits mixed failure,and the ultimate failure is Z-pins pulling out of the adherend.In order to study the failure mechanism of the joint,the finite element method is used to predict the failure strength.The numerical results are in good agreement with the experimental results,and the error is 6.0%,which proves the validity of the numerical model.Through progressive damage failure analysis,it is found that matrix tensile failure of laminate at the edge of Z-pins occurs first,then adhesive layer failure-proceeds at the edge of Z-pins,and finally matrix-fiber shear failure of the laminate takes place.With the increase of load,the matrix-fiber shear failure expands gradually in the X direction,and at the same time,the matrix tensile failure at the hole edge gradually extends in different directions,which is consistent with the experimental results.

Experimental and Numerical Study on Mechanical Properties of Z-pins Reinforced Composites Adhesively Bonded Single-Lap Joints

The mechanical properties of Z-pins reinforced composites adhesively bonded single-lap joints(SLJs)under un-directional tension loading are investigated by experimental and numerical methods.Three kinds of joint configurations,including SLJs with three/two rows of Z-pins and“I”array of Z-pins,are investigated by tension test.The failure modes and mechanism of reinforced joints with different Z-pins numbers and alignment are analyzed,and the comparison is performed for the failure strengths of no Z-pins and Z-pins reinforced joints.According to experimental results,failure modes of three kinds of joints are all mixed failure.It turns out that the Z-pins are pulled out ultimately.The strength of joints of more Z-pins at the end of the overlap area is relatively bigger for the joint of the same Z-pins numbers.The strength of joints with Z-pins compared with non Z-pins joints is growing at 16%.Finally,the three-dimensional distribution of interfacial stress in the lap zone of three kinds of Z-pins reinforced joints is simulated,and the numerical results are in good agreement with the experimental results.It is effective that the numerical calculation of stress analysis is verified.

Damage propagation and strength prediction of a single-lap interference-fit laminate structure

Experimental and finite element research was conducted on the bolted interference fit of a single-lap laminated structure to reveal the damage propagation mechanism and strength change law. A typical single-lap statically loading experiment was performed, and a finite element damage prediction model was built based on intralaminar progress damage theory. The model was programmed with a user subroutine and an interlaminar cohesive zone method. The deformation and damage propagation of the specimen were analyzed, and the failure mechanism of intralaminar and interlaminar damage during loading was discussed. The effect of secondary bending moment on load translation and damage distribution was revealed. The experimental and simulated load–displacement curves were compared to validate the developed model’s reliability, and the ultimate bearing strengths under different fit percentages were predicted. An optimal percentage was also recommended.

Influence of Shim Layers on Progressive Failure of a Composite Componentin Composite-Aluminum Bolted Joint in Aerospace Structural Assembly

The influence of varying shim layers on the progressive damage/failure of a composite component in a bolted composite-aluminum aerospace structural assembly was investigated using a non-linear three-dimensional(3 D)structural solid elements assembled model of a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer(CFRP)-aluminum single-lap joint with a titanium(Ti-6 Al-4 V)fastener and a washer generated with the commercial finite element(FE)software package,ABAQUS/Standard.A progressive failure algorithm written in Fortran code with a set of appropriate degradation rules was incorporated as a user subroutine in ABAQUS to simulate the non-linear damage behavior of the composite component in the composite-aluminum bolted aerospace structure.The assembled 3 DFE model simulated,as well as the specimen for the experimental testing consisted of a carbon-epoxy IMS-977-2 substrate,aluminum alloy 7075-T651 substrate,liquid shim(Hysol EA 9394),solid peelable fiberglass shim,a titanium fastener,and a washer.In distinction to previous investigations,the influence of shim layers(liquid shim and solid peelable fiberglass shim)inserted in-between the faying surfaces(CFRP and aluminum alloy substrates)were investigated by both numerical simulations and experimental work.The simulated model and test specimens conformed to the standard test configurations for both civil and military standards.The numerical simulations correlated well with the experimental results and it has been found that:(1)The shimming procedure as agreed upon by the aerospace industry for the resolution of assembly gaps in bolted joints for composite materials is the same for a composite-aluminum structure;liquid shim series(0.3,0.5 and 0.7 mm thicknesses)prolonged the service life of the composite component whereas a solid peelable fiberglass shim most definitely had a better influence on the 0.9 assembly gap compared with the liquid shim;(2)The shim layers considerably influenced the structural strength of the composite component by delaying its ultimate failure thereby increasing its service life;and(3)Increasing the shim layer′s thickness led to a significant corresponding effect on the stiffness but with minimal effect on the ultimate load.

Analysis on the Bonding Failure Mechanism of High Modulus Carbon Fiber Composites

In order to explore the bonding failure mechanism of high modulus carbon fiber composite materials,the tensile experiment and finite element numerical simulation for single-lap and bevel-lap joints of unidirectional laminates are carried out,and the stress distributions,the failure modes,and the damage contours are analyzed. The analysis shows that the main reason for the failure of the single-lap joint is that the stress concentration of the ply adjacent to the adhesive layer is serious owing to the modulus difference,and the stress cannot be effectively transmitted along the thickness direction of the laminate. When the tensile stress of the ply exceeds its ultimate strength in the loading process,the surface fiber will fail. Compared with the single-lap joint,the bevel-lap joint optimizes the stress transfer path along the thickness direction,allows each layer of the laminate to share the load,avoids the stress concentration of the surface layer,and improves the bearing capacity of the bevel-lap joint. The improved bearing capacity of the bevellap joint is twice as much as that of the single-lap joint. The research in this paper provides a new idea for the subsequent study of mechanical properties of adhesively bonded composite materials.