Water Diffusion in Double Cantilever Beam Adhesive Joints

Abstract Structural adhesives are increasingly being used in the aerospace and automotive industries. They allow for light weight vehicles, fuel savings and reduced emissions. However, the environmental degradation of adhesive joints is a major setback in its wide implementation. Moisture degradation of adhesive joints includes plasticization, attacking of the interface, swelling of the adhesive and consequent creation of residual stresses. This may lead to reversible and irreversible damage. In this work double cantilever beam (DCB) specimens using two different adhesives for the automotive i...