Some aspects of cohesive models and modelling with special application to strength of adhesive layers

An overview of recent development of cohesive modelling is given. Cohesive models are discussed in general and specifically for the modelling of adhesive layers. It is argued that most cohesive models model a material volume and not a surface. Detailed microscopic and mesomechanical studies of the fracture process of an engineering epoxy are discussed. These studies show how plasticity on the mesomechanical length scale contributes to the fracture energy in shear dominated load cases. Methods to measure cohesive laws are presented in a general setting. Conclusions and conjectures based on experimental and mesomechanical studies are presented. The influence of temperature and strain rate on the peak stress and fracture energy of cohesive laws indicates fundamentally different mechanisms responsible for these properties. Experiments and mesomechanical studies show that in-plane straining of an adhesive layer can give large contributions to the registered fracture energy. Finite element formulations including a method to incorporate this influence are discussed.