Experimental and numerical investigations of adhesively bonded carbon/carbon composites subjected to interlaminar shear loads

The interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of adhesively bonded carbon/carbon composites (C/Cs) was investigated experimentally and numerically. A 3 D finite element model was established to study the damage behavior and stress distribution of adhesively bonded C/Cs based on Linde failure criterion and cohesive zone model. Good agreements were observed between experimental and numerical results, thus verifying the validity of the established numerical model. Test results show that the ILSS of adhesively bonded C/Cs specimens is 12.21 MPa, 16.2% higher than that of intact specimens. Therefore, the adhesive is proved to be quite effective to enhance the interlaminar strength of the C/Cs. Damage contours and stress distribution analysis of the adhesive were discussed numerically. Shear stress (13) is the principal factor for the damage.