Adhesion Mechanics Laboratory

217 Norris Hall

Phone: (540) 231-7484

Person in charge: Dillard
Contact: Dr. D. A. Dillard, (540) 231-4714

Mechanical, electrical, and optical techniques are employed to characterize adhesives and determine performance of adhesively bonded joints and structures. Fracture mechanics principles are widely used to better understand joint capabilities. Special equipment includes a 10,000 lb. MTS servohydraulic test frame used for fatigue testing, a 20,000 lb. Instron test frame with an assortment of load cells for conducting strength and fracture tests, two drop towers for impact studies, a high speed camera, an environmental chamber for use in the load frames, a Nikon microscope, a micromanipulator used for testing coating adhesion, a Veeco interferometric profilometer, and computers and work stations used for finite element analysis.