ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how to take full advantage of the main advantages and improvements adhesive joints allow for while exploring the extra steps and novel techniques that minimize as much as possible the disadvantages. There are several families of resins that are used as structural adhesives, with epoxy, acrylics, phenolics, polyurethanes, and polyaromatics being the most common commercial structural adhesives. Brittle adhesives provide a higher tensile strength and a lower elongation, lower toughness, and higher modulus than flexible adhesives do. Hybrid joints are techniques that combine adhesive bonding with other traditional joining methods, with the objective of combining the advantages of adhesives with those of the chosen traditional method. Fixturing of parts for adhesive bonding is essential for ensuring the quality of a bonded joint. T-joints are not as widespread as the single-lap joint for industrial applications; however, they are common in the automotive industry, providing a geometry that is compatible with the combination of spot-welds and adhesive bonding.
