ASTM D3528-96(2016)

Standard Test Method for Strength Properties of Double Lap Shear Adhesive Joints by Tension Loading

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 This test method is designed to produce shear property data for the process control and specification of adhesives. This test method may also be useful for research and development of adhesives.  
4.2 Lap shear properties vary with specimen configuration preparation, speed, and environment of testing. Consequently, where precise comparative results are desired, these factors must be carefully controlled and reported.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the determination of the tensile shear strengths of adhesives for bonding metals when tested in an essentially peel-free standard specimen that develops adhesive stress distribution representative of that developed in a typical low-peel production-type structural joint. The reproducibility of the strengths achieved are directly related to conformance with specified conditions of preparation and testing.  
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 30-Apr-2016
• ICS: 83.180 - Adhesives
• Technical Committee: D14 - Adhesives
• Drafting Committee: D14.80 - Metal Bonding Adhesives

Relations

• Replaces: ASTM D3528-96(2008) - Standard Test Method for Strength Properties of Double Lap Shear Adhesive Joints by Tension Loading
• Effective Date: 01-May-2016
• Refers: ASTM B36/B36M-23 - Standard Specification for Brass Plate, Sheet, Strip, And Rolled Bar
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2023
• Refers: ASTM B265-20a - Standard Specification for Titanium and Titanium Alloy Strip, Sheet, and Plate
• Effective Date: 01-Apr-2020
• Refers: ASTM B265-20 - Standard Specification for Titanium and Titanium Alloy Strip, Sheet, and Plate
• Effective Date: 01-Jan-2020
• Refers: ASTM B152/B152M-19 - Standard Specification for Copper Sheet, Strip, Plate, and Rolled Bar
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2019
• Refers: ASTM B36/B36M-18 - Standard Specification for Brass Plate, Sheet, Strip, And Rolled Bar
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2018
• Refers: ASTM B265-15 - Standard Specification for Titanium and Titanium Alloy Strip, Sheet, and Plate
• Effective Date: 01-Nov-2015
• Refers: ASTM E4-14 - Standard Practices for Force Verification of Testing Machines
• Effective Date: 01-Jun-2014
• Refers: ASTM B36/B36M-13 - Standard Specification for Brass Plate, Sheet, Strip, And Rolled Bar
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2013
• Refers: ASTM B265-13ae1 - Standard Specification for Titanium and Titanium Alloy Strip, Sheet, and Plate
• Effective Date: 01-Jul-2013
• Refers: ASTM B265-13a - Standard Specification for Titanium and Titanium Alloy Strip, Sheet, and Plate
• Effective Date: 01-Jul-2013
• Refers: ASTM B265-13 - Standard Specification for Titanium and Titanium Alloy Strip, Sheet, and Plate
• Effective Date: 01-Jun-2013
• Refers: ASTM B152/B152M-13 - Standard Specification for Copper Sheet, Strip, Plate, and Rolled Bar
• Effective Date: 15-Jan-2013
• Refers: ASTM D907-12a - Standard Terminology of Adhesives
• Effective Date: 01-Jul-2012
• Refers: ASTM D907-12 - Standard Terminology of Adhesives
• Effective Date: 01-May-2012

Overview

ASTM D3528-96(2016), established by ASTM International, is the Standard Test Method for Strength Properties of Double Lap Shear Adhesive Joints by Tension Loading. This international standard outlines procedures for measuring the tensile shear strength of adhesives used in bonding metals under conditions that minimize peel forces, providing a uniform basis for evaluating the shear performance of structural adhesive joints.

Designed primarily for process control, specification, and research and development of adhesives, this standard ensures consistent assessment of adhesive properties when bonding metallic substrates. Adhering closely to the controlled specimen preparation and precise testing parameters defined in D3528 improves comparability and reliability of results across laboratories and industries.

Key Topics

• Tensile Shear Strength Evaluation: The method focuses on measuring the maximum load adhesive joints withstand in shear, with minimal influence from peel stresses, closely simulating real-world production joints.
• Specimen Configuration and Preparation: Carefully prescribed configurations and preparation methods, including surface treatments and use of standard metal types (aluminum, steel, brass, copper, titanium), are critical for reproducible results.
• Test Conditions Control: Shear strength results are highly sensitive to variables such as specimen geometry, preparation, loading rate, and environment (temperature and humidity).
• Reporting Requirements: Comprehensive documentation of adhesive type, metal substrate details, preparation, test parameters, failure modes, and statistical outcomes is mandated for quality assurance and traceability.
• Applicability to SI Units: All measurements and reported values are given in SI units to ensure clarity and alignment with global standards.

Applications

The ASTM D3528 test method is widely applied in industries where structural adhesives play a pivotal role in metal bonding. Key sectors and uses include:

• Automotive and Aerospace: Essential for evaluating adhesives in critical load-bearing joints, ensuring reliability in vehicle structures and aircraft assemblies.
• Manufacturing and Fabrication: Used to establish specification limits for adhesives in production quality control and supplier qualification.
• R&D for Adhesive Formulation: Enables adhesive developers to optimize formulations for maximum shear performance and durability.
• Comparative Performance Testing: Provides a standardized approach for benchmarking adhesives across different suppliers or formulations.
• Quality Assurance: Supports product acceptance protocols by ensuring adhesive bonds meet predefined strength criteria under controlled conditions.

Related Standards

Adherence to ASTM D3528 often involves reference to additional relevant standards, enhancing the robustness of testing and compatibility with industry practices, such as:

• ASTM D907 - Terminology of Adhesives: Provides definitions critical for interpreting requirements.
• ASTM E4 - Practices for Force Verification of Testing Machines: Specifies calibration and verification procedures for testing machines.
• ASTM D618 - Practice for Conditioning Plastics for Testing: Outlines environmental conditioning procedures.
• ASTM E171 - Practice for Conditioning and Testing Flexible Barrier Packaging: Sets conditioning criteria for environmental exposure.
• ASTM E122 - Practice for Calculating Sample Size: Guides statistical determinations for test specimen quantities.

Utilizing ASTM D3528 alongside these related standards ensures comprehensive, precise, and internationally recognized testing and specification practices for double lap shear adhesive joints, directly supporting quality, safety, and innovation in adhesive-bonded metal structures.

Standards Content (Sample)

This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
Designation: D3528 − 96 (Reapproved 2016)
Standard Test Method for
Strength Properties of Double Lap Shear Adhesive Joints by
Tension Loading
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D3528; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
INTRODUCTION
The accuracy of the results of strength tests of adhesive bonds will depend on the conditions under
whichthebondingprocessiscarriedout.Unlessotherwiseagreeduponbetweenthemanufacturerand
the purchaser, the bonding conditions should be prescribed by the manufacturer of the adhesive. In
order to ensure that complete information is available to the individual conducting the tests, the
manufacturer of the adhesive should furnish numerical values and other specific information for each
of the following variables:
(1) Surface preparation
(2) Mixing directions
(3) Adhesive application
(4) Assembly conditions
(5) Curing conditions
(6) Testing conditions
Arangemaybeprescribedforanyvariablebythemanufactureroftheadhesiveifitcanbeassumed
by the test operator that any arbitrarily chosen value within such a range or any combination of such
values for several variables will be acceptable to both the manufacturer and the purchaser of the
adhesive.
1. Scope 2. Referenced Documents
1.1 This test method covers the determination of the tensile 2.1 ASTM Standards:
shear strengths of adhesives for bonding metals when tested in A167 Specification for Stainless and Heat-Resisting
an essentially peel-free standard specimen that develops adhe- Chromium-Nickel Steel Plate, Sheet, and Strip (With-
sive stress distribution representative of that developed in a drawn 2014)
typical low-peel production-type structural joint. The repro- B36/B36M Specification for Brass Plate, Sheet, Strip, And
ducibility of the strengths achieved are directly related to Rolled Bar
conformance with specified conditions of preparation and B152/B152M Specification for Copper Sheet, Strip, Plate,
testing. and Rolled Bar
B209 Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the
Sheet and Plate
standard. The values given in parentheses are for information
B265 Specification for Titanium and Titanium Alloy Strip,
only.
Sheet, and Plate
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the
D618 Practice for Conditioning Plastics for Testing
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
D907 Terminology of Adhesives
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
E4 Practices for Force Verification of Testing Machines
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
E122 Practice for Calculating Sample Size to Estimate,With
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1 2
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D14 on For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
Adhesives and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D14.80 on Metal contact ASTM Customer Service at [e-mail]. For Annual Book of ASTM
Bonding Adhesives Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
Current edition approved May 1, 2016. Published May 2016. Originally the ASTM website.
approved in 1976. Last previous edition approved in 2008 as D3528 – 96 (2008). The last approved version of this historical standard is referenced on
DOI: 10.1520/D3528-96R16. www.astm.org.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
D3528 − 96 (2016)
T =1.6mm
T =3.2mm
T =1.6mm
A = Test Gluelines
T =3.2mm
B = Spacer = T 2
A = Test Gluelines
C = Area in Test Grips
B = Area in Test Grips
D Shear Area
C = Shear areas
FIG. 1 Form and Dimensions of Type A Specimens
FIG. 2 Form and Dimensions of Type B Specimen
Specified Precision, the Average for a Characteristic of a
Cut the specimens from the appropriate test panels that have
Lot or Process
been prepared as prescribed in Section 7. For aluminum-alloy
E171 Practice for Conditioning and Testing Flexible Barrier
specimens the recommended thickness of the sheet is 3.24 6
Packaging
0.125 mm (0.125 6 0.005 in.). The recommended test overlap
length (L) for most metals, with adherends of the prescribed
3. Terminology
metal thickness and arranged as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is 12.7
3.1 Definitions—Many terms in this test method are defined
6 0.25 mm (0.5 6 0.01 in.).
in Terminology D907.
NOTE 1—Since it is undesirable to exceed the yield point of the metal
4. Significance and Use
in tension during test, the permissible length of overlap in the specimen
will vary with the thickness and type of metal and on the general level of
4.1 This test method is designed to produce shear property
strength of the adhesive being investigated. The maximum permissible
datafortheprocesscontrolandspecificationofadhesives.This
length may be computed from the following relationship:
test method may also be useful for research and development
Fty t Fty t
1 2
of adhesives.
L 5 and L 5
τ 2
4.2 Lap shear properties vary with specimen configuration
where:
preparation, speed, and environment of testing. Consequently,
L = length of overlap, in., (Figs. 1 and 2),
where precise comparative results are desired, these factors
t = thickness of doubler, in., (Figs. 1 and 2),
must be carefully controlled and reported.
t = thickness of adherend in., (Figs. 1 and 2),
Fty = yield point of adherend (or stress at proportional limit), psi, and
5. Apparatus
τ = 150 % of the estimated average shear strength of the adhesive
bond, psi.
5.1 Testing Machine, conforming to the requirements of
NOTE 2—Variations in adherend thickness, and of the length of the
PracticesE4.Thetestingmachineshouldbesoselectedthatthe
overlap, normally influence the test values and make direct comparison of
breaking load of the specimens falls between 15 and 85 % of
test data questionable. Therefore, it is preferable for the comparative or
the full-scale capacity. The machine should be capable of
specification tests, to standardize on the typical specimen configuration
maintaining a rate of loading of 8.27 to 9.65 MPa (1200 to shown with appropriate adherend gages as computed in accordance with
Note 1. When specimens incorporating special lap lengths are developed
1400 psi)/min, or if the rate is dependent on crosshead motion,
for specific studies, the adherend gage and geometry, once established,
the machine should be set to approach the rate of loading. It
should not be altered.
should be provided with a suitable pair of self-aligning grips to
6.2 The following grades of metals are recommended for
hold the specimen. The grips and attachments should be so
the test specimens:
constructed that they will move into alignment with the test
Brass Specification B36/B36M, CDA 268
specimen as soon as the load is applied, so that the long axis of
Copper Specification B152/B152M, CDA 110
thetestspecimenwillcoincidewiththedirectionoftheapplied
Aluminum Specification B209, Alloy 2024, T3 Temper
pull through the center line of the grip assembly.
Corrosion-resisting steel Specification A167, Type 302, 2B Finish
Titanium Specification B265, Grade 3
6. Test Specimen
6.3 The minimum sample size necessary to develop typical
6.1 The test specimens should conform to one of the or design values for a given joint geometry should be specified
alternative types as dimensioned and shown in Fig. 1 or Fig. 2. on the test request in accordance with the principles
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