Comparative analysis of thermoplastic and thermoset adhesives performance and the influence on failure analysis in jointed elium-based composite structures

Abstract

The preference for thermoplastic composites over thermoset ones is steadily growing, especially in constructing resilient, lightweight, and fuel-efficient structures in industrial settings due to their recyclability and superior energy absorption. Elium (R), an acrylic-based thermoplastic resin, offers enhanced stiffness and improved toughness at room temperature. Investigation into elium-based composites with diverse fiber reinforcements has revealed elium's potential as an alternative to traditional thermoset epoxy resins. This study explores recyclable elium resin as an adhesive for creating curable and non-permanent joints in various elium-based composites. Various joining techniques, including adhesive bonding, mechanical joints, and hybrid bolted/bonded connections, were assessed, with hybrid bonded/bolted (HBB) joints emerging as a preferred solution for structures requiring higher load-carrying capacity. The study's results indicate that, when using elium adhesive, elium-hybrid bolted/bonded (HBB) joints demonstrate superior mechanical strength compared to their epoxy counterparts, resulting in improved toughness and stiffness values for each type of composite material. In addition, the research demonstrates superior load-bearing strengths in bonded glass/elium composite joints using elium adhesive compared to bolted joints, with HBB joints featuring elium adhesive displaying even higher load-bearing strengths. This research highlights the potential of elium-based composites and adhesives in various industrial applications, enabling the production of lightweight, robust structures with exceptional damage tolerance.