In pursuit of tough and damage tolerant adhesive bonded lightweight structures using material architecture

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Global trends to reduce greenhouse emissions have ignited the interest for lightweight materials which are poised for significant market growth in the automotive industries. Fuelled by the increasing material mix, that includes aluminum alloys and fiber-reinforced polymers, the search for joining technologies suitable for multi-material structures is under the spotlight. Recent developments suggest that adhesive bonding can replace traditional fastening methods and could dramatically decrease assembly time and costs. However, because manufacturing and service defects can lead to catastrophic failures, there is still a lack of confidence in this joining technology. Enabled by recent developments in the area of additive manufacturing and in surface preparation using pulsed lasers, various approaches are being developed by the applicant to hamper crack propagation and prevent catastrophic failures. The proposed methodologies targeted the joints' key attributes, i.e., the geometry of the mating layers (substrate architecture), the composition of the bondline (bondline architecture), and interfacial adhesion landscape (interface architecture). The next phase of the applicant's research, which is the focus of the proposed Discovery program, will transition toward a consistent integration of the above methodologies. The long-term goal is to develop a novel holistic manufacturing approach and enable extreme enhancement of toughness and damage tolerance. To achieve this goal, the Discovery program will pursue the following interrelated short-term objectives: 1) Develop and optimize laser pre-treatments for adhesive bonding of lightweight metals and composites; 2) Investigate scalable methods for manufacturing damage-tolerant adhesive joints with architected bondline; 3) Understand the role of architected substrates on the mechanics of debonding in multi-material adhesive joints. This research will use the extensive experimental facilities for material processing and characterization at Waterloo, including a newly CFI-funded multi-wavelength laser platform for surface preparation of metals and polymers. State-of-the-art experiments, paired with advanced modeling, will pave the way to future lightweight and damage-tolerant structures that will decrease fuel consumption and emissions. Canada's benefit is derived through the direct technology transfer to key end receptors, such as automotive and aerospace companies (e.g., Magna, Toyota, Bombardier). Seven graduate students will be trained throughout this program. These researchers will be trained in highly desirable skill sets needed in automotive and aerospace industries, such as adhesive bonding, mechanical characterization, surface/interface analysis, numerical techniques, and computational mechanics applied to damage and fracture. Their recruitment of these skilled professionals within the Canadian industry and academia will further support Canada's future competitiveness.