Micro-scale modeling of water diffusion in adhesive composite joints

Water diffusion into composite adhesive joints was experimentally studied by means of gravimetric measurements in bond specimens. The main parameters controlling the diffusion in the bond components were obtained from water uptake experiments carried out in bulk specimens of fiber-reinforced composite and epoxy adhesive. The diffusion of water in bonds is a complex mechanism due to the heterogeneous microstructure of the composite and its...