On the effect of flat energy directors thickness on heat generation during ultrasonic welding of thermoplastic composites

Genevieve Palardy*, Irene Fernandez Villegas

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

63 Citations (Scopus)
125 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

This paper presents a detailed experimental assessment of the effect of the thickness of flat energy directors (ED) on heat generation at the interface during ultrasonic welding. Power and displacement data showed clear differences caused by the change of thickness, related to heat concentration at the weld line during the process. The extent of the heat-affected zone was assessed by welding specimens without consolidation at different stages of the process. It was confirmed through optical microscopy that heat is generated at the interface and transferred to the bulk adherends earlier in the process for thinner ED. The analysis of their fracture surface under optimum welding conditions revealed signs of matrix degradation, leading to less consistent quality, likely due to faster heat generation rate in both the ED and the substrates, and incidentally, higher temperatures surrounding the energy director.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)203-214
Number of pages12
JournalComposite Interfaces (Print)
Volume24
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 12 Feb 2017

Keywords

  • energy directors
  • mechanical properties
  • optical microscopy
  • plastic ultrasonic welding
  • Thermoplastic composites

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