Tensile load-bearing capacity of co-cured double lap joints

The co-cured joining method has several advantages over the adhesively bond ed joining method because both the curing and the joining processes for the composite structures are achieved simultaneously. In this study, the tensi le load-hearing capacities of co-cured double lap joints were investigated experimentally and compared with the analytical results calculated by finit e element analysis. Co-cured double lap joint specimens with several bond p arameters such as bond length, surface roughness, and stacking sequence of the composite laminate were fabricated and tested. From the experimental re sults, it was found that the failure mechanism of the co-cured double lap j oint was cohesive failure by delamination at the first ply of the composite laminate in the co-cured double lap joint. Finally, optimum values of seve ral bond parameters were determined. Analytical tensile load-bearing capaci ties of the co-cured double lap joints were calculated by the three-dimensi onal Tsai-Wu failure criterion using stress distributions obtained from fin ite element analysis.