Measurement of three-dimensional volumetric displacement fields in structural porous adhesive joints, under tensile and tensile-shear load, by means of in-situ X-ray microtomography

Nowadays, structural bonding is increasingly used for its advantages over conventional joining methods such as riveting or welding. Bonding defects (incomplete polymerization, gradient of mechanical properties, and presence of pores, among others.) can significantly impact the mechanical behavior of these assemblies. Among these defects, the presence of pores, detectable by means of X-ray microtomography measurements, could have a significant influence on the mechanical strength of a bonded structure (reduction of the useful section, questioning of the continuity of the joint, and stress concentration, among others). The study of these pores populations by means of microtomographic measurements, as well as their evolution under mechanical stress, can therefore provide valuable information regarding the mechanical behavior. These data can provide information on (i) the mechanical behavior on a microscopic scale, (ii) the identification of mechanisms of damage and failure of the adhesive joint, or (iii) the measurement of volume displacement fields. In this work, a method for calculating volume displacement fields in an adhesive joint is presented, using the detected pores as markers. The robustness, limits, and effects of different parameters (noise, voxelization, among others.) on this algorithm are identified on synthetic data representative of an adhesive joint. Finally, the validation of the method is based on interrupted tests on relatively small bonded specimens (called mini-Scarf) under tensile and tensile-shear loads.