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Asymmetric Double Cantilever Beam Test to Measure the Toughness of an Alumina/Epoxy Interface

Stavig, Mark E.; Jaramillo, Rex J.; Larkin, Elizabeth C.; Dugger, Jason W.; Laros, James H.

This report describes an adhesively bonded, Asymmetric Double Cantilever Beam (ADCB) fracture specimen that has been expressly developed to measure the toughness of an alumina (Al₂0₃)/epoxy interface. The measured interfacial fracture toughness quantifies resistance to crack growth along an interface with the stipulation that crack-tip yielding is limited and localized to the crack-tip. An ADCB specimen is a variant of the well-known double cantilever beam specimen, but in the ADCB specimen the two beams have different bending stiffnesses. This report begins with a brief overview of how crack-tip mode mixity (i.e., a measure of shear-to- normal stress at the crack-tip) is a distinguishing feature of interfacial fracture. Which is then followed by a detailed description of relevant design, fabrication, testing, and associated data analysis techniques. The report then concludes by presenting illustrative results that compare the measured interfacial toughness of an alumina/epoxy interface when the alumina is silane-coated and when the alumina is not silane coated. This page left blank