Evaluation of tensile properties of a composite-metal joint with a novel metal insert design by experimental and numerical methods

Composite-metal joints with a metal insert are one kind of connecting structure. In this paper, tensile experimental tests were carried out to investigate tensile properties of a composite-metal joint with a novel metal insert design. Finite element models of the joint were established, and strain distribution and tensile strength were analyzed. The numerical results are in good agreement with the experimental results. Results show that the joint failure is dominated by shear properties of the resin layer. Increasing the resin layer thickness in a certain range will improve the tensile strength of the joint, while increasing the radius of the fillet on the ending side of the metal insert will decrease the joint strength. Increasing the resin layer plasticity will improve the joint strength. The effect of the embedded depth of the metal insert can be ignored.