A study of the impact properties of adhesively-bonded aluminum alloy based on impact velocity

In this study, an experiment and a simulation were carried out on colliding an adhesively-bonded tapered double cantilever beam (TDCB) at the impact velocities of 5 m/s, 7.5 m/s and 12.5 m/s. The analysis method of the corrected beam theory (CBT) was used to obtain the rate of energy release in the bonded area according to the crack progression, and a simulation was performed to determine the maximum strain energy during the impact analysis as a means to examine the mechanical properties of aluminium alloy. The experimental data were found to be higher than the simulation data. This is deemed to explicable by the fact that the adhesive strength was maintained even after the specimen separated in the experiment. Crack progression occurred, irrespective of the impact velocity, and high strain energy occurred at the end of the bonded region, thereby causing the strain energy to increase in the final stages. Also, the maximum load applied on the pin and the maximum strain energy in the bonded area were shown increase at higher impact velocities. The results of the experiment and simulation performed in this study are expected to serve as important data in developing a safety design for composite materials that can help prevent the progression of cracks caused by impact.