A series of pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) with different monomer composition was prepared using emulsion polymerisation. The monomers were butylacrylate (BA), 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (2-HEA), acrylic acid (AA) and 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (2-EHA). The adhesive performance was studied at 4%, 8% and 12% 2-EHA content based on total monomer (BOTM) composition. The adhesives obtained with consta...

A review is made on the di€erent methods used for the estimation of transverse/interlaminar stresses in laminated composite plates and shells. Both analytical and numerical methods are considered. In numerical methods while the emphasis is given on ®nite element methods, other methods like the ®nite di€erence method is also brie ̄y discussed. Aspects considered are: e€ects of variation in geomet...

In this paper, considering an adhesively bonded composite single-lap joint, a novel approach is presented to predict the peel and shear stress distributions of the adhesive layer for an ASTM standard test sample. In current method, the equilibrium equations are derived using the energy method and based on the Timoshenko’s beam theory. Two solution procedures then are discussed, one of which rep...

Intelligent hybrid reinforced plastics (IHFRP) with fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors embedded in the HFRP were produced in-situ. The FBG/HFRP interface bonding is discussed. Experimental results show that the interfacial bonding of FBG/HFRP is good, which ensures that it can transfer the external load to the FBG sensor well. The novel IHFRP has a higher strain-testing precision compared to the...

The potential use of carbon fibre laminate composites is limited by the weak out-ofplane properties, especially delamination resistance. The effect of incorporating titanium carbide to the mesophase pitch matrix precursor of carbon fibre laminate composites on interlaminar shear strength is studied both on carbonised and graphitised composites. The presence of titanium carbide modifies the opti...

A complete database of the mechanical properties of an epoxy polymer reinforced with uni-weave carbon fibre non-crimp fabric (NCF) is established. In-plane and through-the-thickness tests were performed on unidirectional laminates under normal loading and shear loading. The response under cyclic shear loading was also measured. The material has been characterised in terms of stiffness, strength...

The force required to peel a film from a substrate is generally a complex function of geometry, the constitutive properties of the film and substrate, and the interfacial cohesive properties. In most analyses, the effects of the transverse shear force that is an integral aspect of almost any peel test are neglected, although they can be incorporated in an indirect fashion through models that in...

Interlaminar fracture mechanics has proven useful for characterizing the onset of delaminations in composites and has been used with limited success primarily to investigate onset in fracture toughness specimens and laboratory size coupon type specimens. Future acceptance of the methodology by industry and certification authorities however, requires the successful demonstration of the methodolo...