Ultrasonic welding of glass reinforced epoxy composites using thermoplastic hybrid interlayers

A glass fiber/polypropylene semi-impregnated lamina was added to an epoxy laminate, prior to the resin infusion, to overcome its limited weldability. Ultrasonic welding of the hybrid composite was conducted by varying welding pressure, time, and vibration amplitude, and using the thermoplastic layer as adjoining surface. Welded joints were analyzed by visual inspection, X-ray tomography, and lap shear testing. Welding time significantly influenced the lap-shear strength, the weld interface quality, and the process stability, promoting the proper intermixing of the thermoplastic layer and the formation of a weld area with strong adhesion. Amplitude and pressure, on the other hand, mostly affected the power absorption. Lower pressure, intermediate amplitude, and longer duration led to an improvement in the lap-shear strength (approximately 5 MPa in the best case). High strength was linked to high exposed-fiber surface area in the fracture surface, while its reduction was attributed to the presence of unwelded areas within the polypropylene interface. X-ray tomography highlighted the correlation between the occurrence of defects in the weld interface and the power profiles, where multiple peaks indicated the material friction and a progressive intermixing of the polymeric interlayer, while flattened profiles and lower peaks are associated to discontinuous and poorly adherent interfaces.