Study of the tensile mechanical properties and failure mechanisms of CFRP screwed joints

Abstract

Removable joint technology is commonly used in composite laminates for various load-bearing structures. However, existing research primarily focuses on bolted joints, there is relatively limited research on screwed joints in composite materials. This study investigates the influence of connected layer thickness and hole diameter on the tensile behavior of threaded joints in carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates. After fabricating different CFRP screwed joint specimens, tensile tests were conducted. The digital image correlation (DIC) technique captured the deformation process. The experiment results indicate a significant increase in load-bearing capacity with the increase in diameter. For instance, joints with an 8 mm diameter exhibited a load-bearing capacity of 10.82 kN. The increase in the connected layer thickness correspondingly enhanced the load-bearing capacity of the joint. The joint with a thickness of 7 mm had the highest load-bearing capacity of 8.83 kN. Besides, with the increase in the thickness of the connected layer, the failure mode transitioned from shear failure in the connected layer to screw pull-out. The tilt angle of the screw during the pull-out process also decreases with the increase in the connected layer thickness. Strain and out-of-plane displacement measurements under ultimate load conditions verify these observations.