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2010
Conference Paper
Titel
Methods for the quality assessment of adhesive bonded CFRP structures - a resumé
Abstract
Although the aerospace industry already has experience with adhesive bonding on carbon fibre reinforced polymers (CFRP) technology, a great potential for the manufacturing of high-loaded structures exists. A prerequisite for such an application is that the quality of the adhesive bond can be controlled. Various nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques are adequate for the characterisation of defects like pores, delamination or debonding within adhesive bond. There is however so far no NDT technique able to ensure the detection of a weak bond ("kissing bond") and, by extension, ensure the quality of an adhesive bond. This lack remains the major issue set against a wider application of the adhesive bonding technology. This paper covers the recent activities of several communities and point out the capabilities and limits of most promising techniques being developed on this topic. Many communities have been working on innovative methods, or on the extension of capabilities of existing NDT techniques to provide a solution. Among these communities for instance, the University of Bristol already demonstrate feasibility of the detection of kissing bonds and fatigue in metallic structures and is involved in research projects for CFRP materials. Another approach relies in the use of proof test methods including laser adhesion test, based on high intensity laser short pulse. These laser adhesion tests generate an elastic shock wave that disbonds the weak adhesive bonds, making the defect visible for other NDT techniques (thermography, US scan, etc...). This approach has already been studied extensively and with success on bonded metallic structures, sandwich composite structures, and tend to extend to adhesive bond in CFRP structures.