Bondline strength evaluation of cocure/precured honeycomb sandwich structures under aircraft hygro and repair environments

Effects of moisture accumulated into the adhesively bonded composite structures on their bondline mechanical strengths are investigated through a series of comparative experiments. Those composite structures include a honeycomb sandwich structures fabricated by the cocure and the precure processes. Mass of moisture accumulated into the closed cells of the honeycomb sandwich panel specimens has been calculated. A pressure due to the vapor expansion in each cell of the sandwich panel has also been obtained for the minimum repair pressure to be applied to the laminate patched area by vapor pressure–temperature relations from the thermodynamic steam table, the ideal gas state equation and two vapor pressure equations. The bondline strengths of the laminated skins on the flat surface of honeycomb have been compared by the flatwise tension test and climbing drum peel test for dry, wet and repair-after-wet specimens, respectively.