Abstract
Since the strength and quality of the joints obtained by thermal fusion bonding depend on the molding process, it is difficult to control the mechanical properties at the joint parts and the thermal fusion have not yet been put to practical use as a method for joining CFRTP. Therefore, it is important to clarify the phenomena caused by thermal fusion bonding of CFRTP and their effects on strength. Authors performed experiments using simple model testing methods to confirm the effects of surface waviness on the generation of microvoids. Also, the adhesive strength was measured using the same apparatus. In addition, the load distribution generated on the fused surface during fusion process was obtained by finite element analysis. From these experiments and analysis, it is found that air may be entrained by the swelling around the irregularities on the contact surfaces, and voids are formed in the fusion surfaces. Thus, it was suggested that the voids contained between contact surfaces decreased tensile strength after thermal fusion.
