Durability and accelerated characterization of adhesive bonds

Accelerated characterization and testing to establish the durability of adhesive bonds most often require compromises in the simplicity of the test, the speed of testing, and the fidelity to in-service results. Practical considerations include deciding on the appropriate exposure conditions and durations, whether to age samples and subsequently test them in contrast to tests that are conducted as aging occurs, and how to use aging results to anticipate or predict durability in service. In this Chapter, we discuss such issues as well as how an understanding of the underlying mechanisms can assist us in designing and conducted accelerated tests. We examine the framework of time-temperature superposition (including its limitations) and then present applications of its use with examples from the published literature as well as our own work.