Understanding and control of adhesive crack propagation in bonded joints between carbon fibre composite adherends I. Experimental

Carbon fibre composites are being widely considered for many classes of heavily loaded components. A common feature of such components is the need to introduce local or global loads into the composite structure. The use of adhesive bonding rather than mechanical fasteners offers the potential for reduced weight and cost. However, such bonded joints must be shown to behave in a predictable and reliable way. A major aspect of this is to demonstrate that the progress of cracks through the bonds is well understood. The work presented here illustrates one possibility for establishing a measure of control over that crack propagation.