Evaluation of Weak Bonds in the Interface of a Single Lap Joint for Carbon-Fiber Reinforced Plastic Adherends Using Acoustic Emission Measurement

Abstract

In this study, we used the acoustic emission (AE) method to evaluate the integrity of a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) single-lap joint. We fabricated single-lap joints with different adherends, surface roughness and contamination conditions. For these joints, AE measurements were conducted under tensile shear adhesion strength tests to investigate the possibility of evaluating the state of adhesion. The shear adhesion strength for unidirectional CFRP was higher than that for textile CFRP. Surface roughening effectively improved the strength and contamination degraded the strength at the tips of the joint. AE measurement results suggested the possibility of integrity monitoring for CFRP joints by focusing on whether the Kaiser effect is effective.