Effect of hot humid environmental exposure on fatigue crack growth of adhesive-bonded aluminum A356 joints

In this study, the effect of hot humid environmental exposure prior to and after adhesive curing on the fatigue crack growth (FCG) behavior of adhesive-bonded aluminum A356 joints was investigated by using single-edge notch bend (SENB) specimen. The results showed that while the exposure after adhesive curing had a significant effect on the FCG resistance of the joints, the exposure of the assembled joints prior to adhesive curing had a relatively small influence. In addition, the effect of load ratio R on the FCG behavior of the exposed joints was studied. The results showed that the FCG of the exposed joints is more sensitive to load ratio R than that of the unexposed joints.