Resistive embedded heating for homogeneous curing of adhesively bonded joints

Adhesively bonded single-lap joints with laminated composite adherends were cured using heat generated by passing an electrical current through a carbon fiber fabric embedded in the bondline. Resistance heating using the embedded fabric resulted in a uniform temperature distribution in the bondline, as compared to temperature fields typically generated using more conventional surface heating methods such as heat blankets or heat lamps. Composite single-lap joint specimens were created using the proposed embedded heating approach, via an oven cure under a vacuum and through the use of an autoclave. The bond strengths of all specimens were measured and found to be comparable. The proposed embedded curing technique results in bond strengths that equal or exceed those achieved with conventional methods, and at potentially lower cost.