A silane surface preparation for on-aircraft adhesive bonding of aluminum, known as the grit-blast/silane (GBS) process, has been optimized. It consists of abrasion using 3M Company Scotch-Brite(R) pads, aluminum oxide grit blast, and application of an epoxy-functional organosilane coupling agent hydrolyzed in water. The surface preparation has advantages for on-aircraft repair since it does not require the use of acids.
This research investigated the fatigue response of precracked and patched 2024-T3 Aluminum panels with stiffeners. Patches were single-sided, unidirectional three ply boron/epoxy. Stiffeners were 2024-T3 aluminum and were riveted and bonded on. Disbonds were introduced into the repair bondline by inserting teflon strips. Three disbond configurations were investigated rack tip disbond (CTD) located at the edge of the patch in the path of crack propagation, full-width disbond (FWD) covering the ...
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