TENSILE BEHAVIOR OF REPAIRED THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITE JOINTS THROUGH ULTRASONIC WELDING

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

1-1-2023

Abstract

Joints in assembled thermoplastic composite (TPC) structures are susceptible to damage during their service life and threaten their structural integrity. It is crucial to develop effective repair methods to enable the recovery of structural strength and improve repair quality. In this regard, as assembly of TPC joints through welding is gaining importance, there is a need to assess their potential for repairability. In this work, repair of ultrasonically welded joints with multifunctional nanocomposite films is investigated. Herein, single lap shear joints were repaired by welding nanocomposite films (multi-walled carbon nanotube/polypropylene (MWCNT/PP)) sandwiched between glass fiber/polypropylene (GF/PP) adherends. Mechanical properties under tensile loading and the effect of repeated repair operations (three cycles) on the lap shear strength (LSS) were investigated, and a comparison was made between MWCNT/PP film repaired specimens and control specimens (pure PP film). The PP film repair indicated significant potential to reinstate LSS with 94.5 %, 89.4 %, and 86.7 % of initial specimen LSS for each cycle, while the strength could be partially restored with MWCNT/PP film. Moreover, during mechanical testing, electrical resistance measurements at the welded interface provided in-situ real-time structural health monitoring (SHM) for damage mechanisms of repaired GF/PP joints, in addition to fractography analyses after repair cycles. Overall, the repair capability of the ultrasonic-assisted technique for TPC joints was confirmed in this study and MWCNT-based nanocomposite films showed potential for real-time damage detection of repaired joints.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

International SAMPE Technical Conference

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