Advanced adhesive repairs and reinforcements for curved glass/epoxy composite laminates

Abstract

This study investigates the repair of damaged curved glass/epoxy composite laminates through various adhesive reinforcements and adhesively bonded external patches. The experimental procedures involve fabricating laminates, conducting four-point bending tests, quasi-static indentation tests, and optimizing damaged areas. Results demonstrate the influence of repairs on curved beam strength and interlaminar tensile strength. Adhesive repairs with chopped fiber reinforcement outperform plain epoxy and particle fiber-reinforced repairs, preserving 51.28% of curved beam strength. Adhesively bonded external patches, both single and double, with chopped fiber reinforcement exhibit significant strength recovery 72.08% and 80.78% compared to virgin samples. The study emphasizes the effectiveness of adhesively bonded external patches, particularly those with chopped glass fiber reinforcement, in enhancing curved beam strength and interlaminar tensile strength. This research provides valuable insights for repairing angled structures, such as those in airplane components, showcasing potential applications of these techniques for structural maintenance.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Investigated adhesive reinforcements and bonded external patches for curved composites.

• Laminates fabricated, tested for bending, indentation, and optimized in damaged region

• Chopped fiber adhesive repairs preserve significant 51.28% strength.

• Adhesively bonded patches exhibit 72.08% and 80.78% strength recovery.

Keywords:

• Curved composite laminates
• residual strength
• delamination
• composite repair
• glass/epoxy composites

Acknowledgement

We would like to sincerely thank DST-FIST for providing funding to purchase this 100kN UTM in order to conduct the research. V. Dinesh Babu does also want to thank AICTE-QIP for providing a fellowship for his work.

Authors’ contribution

V. Dinesh Babu: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing- Original draft preparation. V. Arumugam: Visualization, Investigation, Supervision, Validation. J. Jefferson Andrew: Writing- Reviewing and Editing.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.