Material degradation of cfrp-to-steel joints subjected to salt fog.

Effects of salt fog on CFRP-steel bonded joints were studied via simulation by accelerated cycles. CFRP-to-steel double strap joints made of two different types of laminates were subjected to salt fog cycles for 5000 h and Mode-II tests conducted to assess the degradation of their bond capacity at selected time stages of the process. Different mechanisms causing strength losses were found and analyzed. Results showed that the bond capacity of joints increased initially but was reduced at later stages. Corrosion debonding took place in the chamber between 5,000 h and 10,000 h prior to the application of external loading. Combined Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) results showed that severe degradation at the interface of carbon fibers and resin only took place for one type of laminate. Galvanic corrosion was also analyzed and coupling between CFRP and steel developed due to the corrosion product depositions over the components leading to the degradation of the same type of laminate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]