Failure of adhesively bonded single lap joints with MWCNT and Fullerene C60 in the adhesive due to tensile loading

Abstract

Abstract To create a better and stronger single lap joint that has the potential of sustaining the damage load to a greater extent, nano particles like multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) and Fullerene C60 were dispersed in the adhesive. Though the joints made by adhesive bonding are stronger in themselves but the use of nano particle can further increase the damage load carrying capacity. The current research focuses on developing adhesively bonded single lap joints (ABSLJ’s) by dispersing MWCNT and Fullerene C60 in the adhesive at a weight percentage of 1% and 3% by ultrasonication. Carbon fiber fabric was used as adherend and a two part epoxy system was used as an adhesive. By using the metallic shims, the thickness of adhesive was retained at 0.5 mm and 1 mm. Results reveals that the joints made with the use of MWCNT showed better load bearing capacity compared to that of the joints made with Fullerene C60. It was even revealed that with the rise in the thickness of the adhesive, the joint strength decreased. An increase of 154% in the joint strength was obtained for joint sample with 3 wt % MWCNT and 0.5 mm adhesive thickness compared to non doped joints. As the adhesive thickness was raised to 1 mm, for the same weight percentage the joint strength dipped by 16%. While for Fullerene C60, increase in the joint strength was seen at 1 wt % with 0.5 mm adhesive thickness followed by a 15% dip in strength at 1 mm adhesive thickness.