Elastostatic properties for non-identical adhesive lap joints: Theory and modeling

Considering the tensile, shear, and flexural behaviors of the adherends, as well as the shear and peel effects of the adhesive layer, this study presents a general elasticity theory for non-identical adhesive lap joints (ALJs), and on this foundation, a new analytical model capable of describing the adhesive stress distributions is further developed. Subsequently, the analytical model is numerically validated with finite element (FE) analysis, indicating that the adhesive stress distributions derived from the analytical model remain consistent with the FE ones. Finally, the parametric studies of non-identical ALJs are performed based on the analytical model. It is shown that the degree of joint imbalances gradually increases with the increase of the elastic modulus ratios and geometric thickness ratios of the adherends, and the peak average shear and peel stresses of the adhesive layer increase along with the elastic moduli, while decrease along with the geometric thicknesses.