Lightweight Glass Veils Integral to the Successful Application of Fibre Metal Laminates

Fibre Metal Laminates combine layers of composite and metal, creating a unique set of material properties that are an effective balance of the advantages and disadvantages of their constituents.  

Initially developed for the aerospace industry, FMLs have many advantages; they are lightweight, have a high damage tolerance, and demonstrate good fatigue, corrosion and impact properties. The versatility and mechanical properties of FML technology show promise for expansion into other sectors as well, such as wind energy and marine transport, especially when combined with new reactive thermoplastic systems.  

Combining these technologies presents challenges, particularly the optimisation of the metal-composite interface for good adhesion. The constituent materials are dissimilar, potentially causing weak interfacial bonding leading to delamination and loss of integrity.  

The study, titled ‘Vacuum-infused thermoplastic fibre-metal laminates – Advances in bonding and recycling’, evaluates the utilisation of nonwovens as a carrier for the adhesive to improve the bond line uniformity and interfacial bonding, the latter of which is characterised by a high Interlaminar Shear Strength (ILSS). TFP’s lightweight nonwovens are already used extensively in the aerospace industry as a carrier or support for adhesive films in more traditional composite layups. They facilitate uniform wet out of adhesive, setting the bond line to ensure a defined and consistent film thickness, whilst ultimately improving the resilience and handling of the final product. 

The laminates were subjected to Short Beam Shear (SBS) testing to evaluate the ILSS and determine which carrier delivered the most effective bonding. The results indicated that TFP’s 6g/m2 lightweight fine glass veil performed best; the thin, highly porous veil architecture enabled rapid and consistent impregnation with the adhesive to create a thin, uniform bond line.

The study demonstrates the importance of the use of TFP materials in this area, enabling the use of FMLs in new sectors and applications. Key takeaways from the study include:

Ensuring a consistent and uniform bond line is important for the successful transition of FML technology to an industrial scale. The integration of TFP’s lightweight fine glass as an adhesive carrier enables the necessary control over bond line thickness and maintains uniformity.
A thin glass fibre veil can be utilised as an adhesive carrier to improve bond line uniformity without reducing the interlaminar shear strength which would indicate a disruption in interfacial bonding. Measurement of the Interlaminar Shear Strength (ILSS), a critical composite property, indicates superior results with TFP’s 6gsm fine glass veil.

Maguire J.M. et al (2023) ‘Vacuum-infused thermoplastic fibre-metal laminates – Advances in bonding and recycling’ Materials Today Communications, 37, pp 1-5.