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Experimental analysis of adhesively bonded joints in synthetic- and natural fibre-reinforced polymer composites

The application of adhesively bonded joints in automotive industry has increased significantly in recent years mainly because of the potential for lighter weight vehicles, fuel savings and reduced emissions. The use of composites in making automotive body components to achieve a reduced vehicle mass has also continuously increased. Natural fibre composites have recently attracted a great deal of attention by the automotive industry due to their many attractive benefits (e.g. high strength-to-weight ratio, sustainable characteristics and low cost). However, the literature on natural fibre-reinforced polymer composite adhesive joints is scarce and needs further investigation. The main objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the mechanical performance of adhesively bonded joints made of synthetic- and natural fibre-reinforced polymer composites. Similar and dissimilar single lap joints bonded with a modern tough structural adhesive used in the automotive industry, as well as the epoxy resin AR260 (the same resin used in composite fabrication) were tested. It was found that the average failure loads varied significantly with adhesive material strength and adherend stiffness. Furthermore, it was also observed that failure mode has a significant effect in failure load. The jute-based natural fibre composites joints, both hybrid and purely natural, were superior in strength compared to the sisal-based natural composites joints.