On the thermomechanical behavior of two-dimensional foam/metal joints with shear-deformable adherends: Model validation with FE analysis

The stress distributions in metal/adhesive/foam planar joints subjected to biaxial tensile load and thermal load was investigated through a semi-analytical model. The shear deformation of adherends was accounted for according to a linear law in order to obtain closed-form solutions. For the model validation, a comparative study with a finite element (FE) simulation was carried out. A 2D behavior of stress fields is observed due especially to the Poisson's ratio effects and the biaxial nature of loads. The through thickness shear stresses are comparable to normal stresses; therefore, the adherend shear deformation must be accounted for correct failure prediction. According to the comparison with FE results, the normal stress distributions at any location in the foam and the shear stresses in the foam regions close to the adhesive surface can be well predicted by the proposed model. The through thickness shear stresses, however, showed to vary according to a cubic law rather than a linear law.