1.1 This standard specifies test procedures for determining the long-term durability of an adhesive system
subjected to environmental and fatigue loads. The procedures are based upon measurement of the crack
growth rate and the resistance to crack propagation through the adhesive layer in double cantilever beam type
specimens under an applied mode I opening cycling loading.
1.2 The test specimens consist of rectangular metal substrates bonded together with a pre-starter crack in
the bondline. For testing joints consisting of relatively thin sheets of metallic substrates the specimen needs to
be structurally reinforced by adding layers of compatible material to the back of each adherend substrate in
order to prevent permanent deformation, usually referred to as reinforced double cantilever beam (RDCB) test
specimen.
1.3 For brevity, the standard relates to testing RDCB specimens, which are essentially more complex in
manufacturing than standard double cantilever beam (DCB) specimens. However, the standard allows also for
use of single substrate double cantilever beam specimens when the substrate material is available in sufficient
thickness.
1.4 The test method has been proven to be particularly sensitive in finding weaknesses within certain
adhesive systems and is recommended as a scientific tool to study adhesion properties. This test method
may be used to determine:
- The fatigue crack growth rate as a function of the mode I strain energy release rate;
- The threshold values for negligible crack growth;
- The effects of other environmental factors (temperature and/or humidity cycling);
- The mode I (peel or crack opening) failure mode of the adhesive joint (cohesive, interfacial, near-surface ...).
DIN EN 15190:2007 Referenced Document
EN 13887 Structural adhesives - Guidelines for surface preparation of metals and plastics prior to adhesive bonding
EN 923:2005 Adhesives - Terms and Definitions (Incorporates Amendment A1: 2008)
EN ISO 9142 Adhesives Guide to the selection of standard laboratory ageing conditions for testing bonded joints Supersedes EN 29142: 1993; ISO 9142: 2003*, 2024-04-18 Update
ISO 15024 Fibre-reinforced plastic composites — Determination of mode I interlaminar fracture toughness, GIC, for unidirectionally reinforced materials*, 2023-02-27 Update
DIN EN 15190:2007 history
2007DIN EN 15190:2007-10 Structural adhesives - Test methods for assessing long term durability of bonded metallic structures; German version EN 15190:2007
2007DIN EN 15190:2007 Structural adhesives - Test methods for assessing long term durability of bonded metallic structures; German version EN 15190:2007