Author(s)

F.S. Guarino & J.M. Kenny

Abstract

Aluminium joints have been used in order to investigate the effects of radiation on curing at room temperature structural adhesives. For many applications, like space satellites, high energy physics experiments, and nuclear power plants, radiation can in fact be so high that the performances of many polymers can be completely compromised. The effects of different surface treatments, together with the effects of adhesive thickness, has been analysed in order to correctly design the tests. Mechanical tests on the so designed joints have been performed up to a ionising radiation dose of 4 MGy. The correlation between fracture mechanics and polymer degradation are dis

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