Inspired by biological suture joints with wavy morphology, wavy adhesive joints were designed and the shear resistance of the designs were explored via finite element (FE) simulations. The influences of waviness and material properties of the layer on the mechanical behaviors of the adhesive joints were quantified. Both adhesive and cohesive failure mechanisms were explored: (1) delamination along the interface between the softer layer and the harder substrates, and (2) layer material failure.
In the FE models, both cohesive interaction and ductile damage mechanics models were used to capture the two failure mechanisms. The effects of Young’s modulus and damage evolution parameters on the force-displacement relation were studied. Both failure mechanisms were observed by varying the material properties in the adhesive layer. It was found that, the stiffness, strength and the failure mechanisms of the wavy adhesive joints are largely dependent on the geometry and material properties of the layer.
