A torsional fatigue test for adhesive bonded butt joints is presented.
The apparatus for the test is a modification of the standard fixture
outlined in the ASTM E 229 test for determining the shear strength of
adhesive bonds subject to torsion. This apparatus is designed to be us
ed on a universal testing machine and can be used to determine the fat
igue life of adhesive butt joints under torsion. The fixture can be fu
rther modified to make it suitable for testing adhesive bonded shaft j
oints under torsion. Sample results from fatigue tests performed on a
joint between steel and phenolic resin-cotton fiber laminate adherends
are presented to show the viability of the fatigue test apparatus.