Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Mechanical Testing Of Epoxy Adhesives For Naval Applications, Michael James Boone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With advances in composite technology and an understanding of composite application, requirements to develop new design approaches exist. With composite structures today, a basic understanding that both material architecture and joining process, affect the strength of the structure. These design requirements force old techniques of joining, such as bolting and riveting to be re-evaluated. Advantages of adhesives over mechanical means of fastening include higher stiffnesses, more uniform load distribution, parts consolidation, no holes drilled in adherends (with resulting stress concentrations), and, generally, less labor. Adhesives have proven to be a good solution for joining when composites are utilized, but this …