Abstract
The aim of the present work is to quantify the enhancement of bond toughness of Al/epoxy joints associated to substrates laser irradiation. For this reason a potential based cohesive model is employed and cohesive elements are implemented within the finite element framework. The influence of the cohesive properties on the predicted global response of the joints is firstly analyzed. The coupling between adherents plasticity and the cohesive properties is then discussed. It is shown that the global response is mainly affected by cohesive energy (the bond toughness) and cohesive strength. In turn, a proper cost function is defined which quantifies the deviation between numerical and experimental total dissipated energy. Based on a sensitivity analysis of the as-defined cost function, it is shown that an accurate estimation of the bond toughness can be expected from global data. The situation is different for the cohesive strength, whose estimation could require more advanced experimental observations or additional tests. The results reported in the present work allow us to conclude, in a reliable manner, that the laser surface treatment can lead to a large improvement of bond toughness.