Effect of operating temperature on aged single lap bonded joints

In recent decades, designers have increasingly focused on the stability of assemblies in composite materials over time, particularly when used in structural applications. The use of structural adhesives allows for realising assemblies without mechanical fasteners. In fact, bonding is an assembly technique that prevent corrosion, ensures uniform stresses in the joint, and grows the specific resistance of the assembly. The knowledge of the behaviour of bonded joint is necessary to ensure the reliability of this technique over time, especially in aggressive environments. The aim of this work consists in investigating the combined effect of hydrothermal ageing and temperature test on the lap shear strength of single lap joints realised in CFRP. The results showed a higher influence of the ageing on paste adhesive compared to film adhesive. However, the ageing, combined with the operating temperature, played a fundamental role on the shear strength of the bonded joints.