Browse Topic: Adhesives and sealants
AMS6885/1 gives information about the technical requirements and qualification procedure for unidirectional carbon fiber tape epoxy repair prepreg capable of curing under vacuum for repair of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy structures. The repair system includes an epoxy film adhesive to be applied in a co-bonding process with the prepreg for solid laminate and sandwich bonding.
AMS6885/2 gives specific information about the qualification program for unidirectional carbon fiber tape epoxy repair prepreg capable of curing under vacuum for repair of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy structures. The prepreg system shall include an epoxy film adhesive to be applied in a co-bonding process with the prepreg for solid laminate and sandwich bonding.
This digital standard is a requirements extract of AS5127D Aerospace Standard Test Methods for Aerospace Sealants Methods for Preparing Aerospace Sealant Test Specimens. This file contains a general requirements extraction as well as files that are optimized for use with Doors Classic, Siemens Polarian, and PTC.
Aerospace and defense systems demand materials capable of maintaining performance under extreme environmental and operational stressors, including wide thermal cycling ranges, exposure to hydrocarbon fuels, vacuum conditions, and repeated mechanical strain. Silicone-based materials have become essential in these environments because they can retain elasticity, stability, and functionality where many traditional materials fail. Silicones are widely used as coatings, adhesives, sealants, and elastomers in aircraft and spacecraft applications. Their chemical structure enables resistance to both high and low temperatures, while also providing durability against solvents and fuels such as jet fuel. In contrast, many conventional elastomers degrade under prolonged thermal exposure or become brittle at cryogenic temperatures.
AMS6885/5 is the Material Specification (MS) which defines the requirements of a unidirectional carbon fiber tape epoxy repair prepreg capable of curing under vacuum for repair of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy structures. It also defines the requirements of an epoxy film adhesive to be applied in a co-bonding process with the prepreg for solid laminate and sandwich bonding.
This Technical Specification gives information about technical requirements and qualification procedures of adhesive paste with or without thickening agent for core restoration of aircraft components.
In the design of Rechargeable Energy Storage System (RESS) structures, including battery trays, module side plates, and end plates, there are multiple conflating factors, including: Mechanical requirements necessitating the use of electrically conductive materials (steel and aluminum); proximity between battery module structure and battery cells, necessitating the use of electrical isolation coatings; and, module and pack designs that retain cells via the use of Structural Adhesive Material (SAM). Inherently, with this design approach, organic coatings are placed in a new and perilous position. In a sense, the coating becomes a supplement to an adhesive. As Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) virtual analysis tools become more sophisticated, there is increasing reliance on these tools to predict the occurrence of structural failures in various load cases. Factors in test method, paint pretreatment, and topcoat affecting adhesion of organic coatings in structural adhesive joints are discussed, including: Adhesive sample preparation; adhesive selection, coating film pretreatment; age of pretreatment bath; acid cleaning; substrate material type (steel vs. aluminum); substrate product form effects within aluminum, and coating thickness. This information is useful for organic coating process development on metallic substrates. It is especially useful for material constructions requiring paint in contact with structural adhesives, as in these joints, paint adhesion is often a limiting factor on the performance of the structural adhesive. The characterization and optimization of this interface is especially important for EV battery modules & packs.
Master Bond EP40 is a two-part, room temperature curing epoxy for bonding, sealing, coating, and encapsulating. EP40 bonds well to a variety of substrates, including naval steel, the primary structural metal used in the shipbuilding industry. Master Bond Inc., Hackensack, NJ To reduce its environmental impact and pollution, the shipping industry is investigating methods to construct more lightweight ships. One potential method is using adhesive bonding techniques to replace traditional welding and riveted joints on ships to fabricate lighter ships with smaller carbon footprints. However, adhesives age and deteriorate when exposed to moisture, high temperatures, and ultraviolet light. This makes it necessary to understand how they age in maritime environments to determine whether they can truly replace traditional welding techniques. To this end, researchers at Centro de Investigación en Tecnologías Navales e Industriales (CITENI) and Centro de Investigación TIC (CITIC) developed a new method for studying adhesive aging on naval steel substrates. Master Bond EP40 was selected as the test adhesive for this method due to its strong performance and suitability for marine conditions. By using EP40, the team ensured that the observed adhesive bonding behavior would reflect a high-quality epoxy's potential in ship structures. The goal was to evaluate how EP40 bonds to naval steel and how the bulk epoxy material would behave in seawater to provide insights into the construction of lighter ships using this approach.
For centuries, steel has been a cornerstone material for structural construction; by contrast, adhesive joining is a relatively nascent technology, particularly in heavy structural applications. The present article aims to provide the reader a review of the applications of adhesive joining in steel-based applications. Steel being a popular material in many industries due to its excellent mechanical properties, but traditional joining methods might have certain limitations viz. ability to withstand vibrations or movement, distortion, difficult to repair, and the like. Adhesive joining provides an alternative approach that offers advantages like reduced weight, improved corrosion resistance, enhanced aesthetics, ability to join multi-materials, ability to resist vibrations to a certain limit, and the like. This article examines the use of steel within the automotive and construction industries, intentionally narrowing its scope from steel’s broader range of applications. This article tries to provide the reader an overview of some of the applications and focuses on the relevant principles of adhesive joining, types of adhesives used, surface preparation techniques, joining methods, and the mechanical properties of adhesive joints. Finally, the article examines current challenges and outlines future research trends in the field of adhesive joining, with a focus on similar applications.
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs) have become essential in modern aerospace structures, from fuselage skins and wing components to nacelles, interior structures, and a growing range of primary load-bearing parts. Their high strength-to-weight ratio delivers major benefits in fuel efficiency, payload capacity, and fatigue performance. Yet achieving reliable adhesive bonds on CFRP surfaces remains a persistent engineering challenge. The low intrinsic surface energy of composites - particularly under thermal cycling, vibration, and moisture exposure - limits bond durability unless surfaces are properly prepared. Plasma surface treatment has emerged as a pivotal solution, offering a fast, controllable, and non-destructive way to increase surface energy, improve wettability, and enhance adhesion across complex geometries. This is especially important as the aerospace industry transitions from thermoset to thermoplastic composites (TPCs), which enable faster processing, lower production costs, and better recyclability.
Researchers combined mussel adhesive protein with decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) to develop a composite hemostatic sponge that offers both strong tissue adhesion and biocompatible biodegradability.
As EV battery designs continue to explore new pack shapes, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies has developed a new, flexible busbar sealing technology that enables media-tight over-molding and works with rectangular and round busbars. The company is displaying the new sealant alongside new DIAvent components and a few other new-ish products at The Battery Show in October in Detroit, Michigan, highlighting the company's commitment to developing new technologies for high-performance EVs. Freudenberg designed its new sealant to protect electronics from oil coolant leakage in both low- and high-voltage applications, and to withstand temperatures between −40 and +200°C (−40 and +392°F). It's also more leak-resistant and easier to assemble than traditional sealants.
Climate-neutral aviation requires resource-efficient composite manufacturing technologies and solutions for the reuse of carbon fibers (CF). In this context, thermoplastic composites (TPC) can make a strong contribution. Thermoforming of TPC is an efficient and established process for aerospace components. Its efficiency could be further increased by integration of joining processes, which would otherwise be separate processes requiring additional time and equipment. In this work, an integrative two-step thermoforming process for hollow box structures is presented. The starting point are two organosheets, i.e. fiber-reinforced thermoplastic sheets. First, one of the organosheets, intended for the bottom skin of the uplift structure, is thermoformed. After cooling, the press opens, the organosheet remains in the press and an infrared heater is pivoted in, to locally heat up just the joining area. Meanwhile, a second organosheet, intended for the top skin, is heated and thermoformed and simultaneously joined to the lower skin, thereby forming the box structure. The process can be referred to as co-consolidation with localized heating of the joining areas. The target of this study was to initially built up a test setup allowing to process single lap shear samples with this concept, test the shear strength (tensile test based on DIN 1465) and compare it with similar tests on samples joined via co-consolidation and resistance welding. The tests were based on organosheets processed from nonwovens made of polyamide 6 fibers and recycled carbon fiber. Resistance welding and co-consolidation gave similar shear strength of about 9 MPa, but the co-consolidation with localized heating reached only around 56 % of the shear strength (around 5.4 MPa). Optical observation shows adhesive failure, indicating that the contact time above temperatures allowing for healing was insufficient and requires further improvement.
The integrated bracket is a plastic part that packages functional components such as the ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) camera, rain light sensor, and the mounting provisions of the auto-dimming IRVM (Inner Rear View Mirror). This part is fixed on the windshield of an automobile using double-sided adhesive tapes and glue. ADAS, rain light sensors, and auto-dimming IRVM play an important part in the safety of the driver and everyone present in the automobile. This makes proper functioning of the integrated bracket very integral to occupant safety. Prior to this work, the following literature; Integrated Bracket for Rain Light Sensor/ADAS/Auto-Dimming IRVM with provision of mounting for Aesthetic Cover [1] outlines the design considerations and advantages of mounting several components on the same bracket. It follows the theme where the authors first define the components packaged on the integrated bracket and then the advantages of packaging multiple components on a single bracket. However, it fails to showcase the development phase of the part. In this paper, the authors take the readers through a set of issues faced in the development phase of integrated bracket. The development phase is the phase when tooled-up parts arrive at the manufacturing plant and get assembled on the vehicle. During this phase, issues at the part level and assembly level are addressed by respective engineering teams. The issue resolution comprises three main parts: root cause analysis, immediate corrective action, and permanent corrective action. Root cause analysis is where the cause is identified. Immediate corrective action is a temporary solution to the problem that can be implemented on day one without any lead time. Permanent corrective action is the final stage of issue resolution where the improved parts start arriving at the manufacturing plant after tool modification.
Sterilization plays a vital role in the use of medical devices. Prior to the 1980s, most medical products were reusable and required sterilization or disinfection between uses. The advance of contagious diseases has raised some concerns over the risks of reusable medical devices, spurring the medical device manufacturing industry to develop disposable, single-use versions of many medical instruments.
An industry-first 3D laser-based, computer-vision system can monitor and control the application of adhesive beads as tiny in width as two human hairs. This unique inspection system for electronic assemblies operates at speeds of 400 to 1,000 times per second, considerably quicker and more effective than conventional 2D systems. “Difficulty in precisely dispensing adhesives or sealants, especially in extremely small or complex electronic assemblies, can lead to over-application, under-application, bubbles, or incorrect location of the adhesive bead,” Juergen Dennig, president of Ann Arbor, Michigan-headquartered Coherix, told SAE Media. Improper application of joining material on electronic control units (ECUs) and power control units (PCUs) can result in poor adhesion, material voids and short circuits.
The purpose of air conditioning (AC) duct packing is multifaceted, serving to prevent condensation, eliminate rattle noise, and provide thermal insulation. A critical aspect of duct packing is its adhesive quality, which is essential for maintaining the longevity and effectiveness of the packing's functions. Indeed, the challenge of achieving adequate adhesivity on AC ducting parts is significant due to the harsh operating conditions to which these components are subjected. The high temperatures and presence of condensation within the AC system can severely compromise the adhesive's ability to maintain a strong bond. Moreover, the materials used for these parts, such as HDPE, often have low surface energy, which further hinders the formation of a durable adhesive bond. The failure of the adhesive under these conditions can lead to delamination of the duct packing, which can result in customer inconvenience due to rattling noises, potential electrical failures if condensed water contacts electrical components beneath the ducting, or loss of thermal energy, thereby reducing the AC system's thermal efficiency. This paper primarily focuses on developing an experimental methodology to identify the most appropriate adhesive for use in ducting applications. This involves a detailed examination of various adhesive types and designing suitable experiments to evaluate the adhesive bond's resilience, particularly when applied to HDPE blow-molded ducts. The methodology aims to ascertain the conditions under which the adhesive bond fails, ensuring that the selected adhesive can maintain its integrity under the rigors of operational stress and environmental factors. Additional insights gained from the study highlight the influence of surface roughness, resting time, and exposure to extreme temperatures on the lamination quality of duct packing. These findings are crucial for manufacturers to consider when selecting adhesives for AC duct systems, ensuring that the chosen solutions are robust enough to withstand the demanding conditions of automotive environments and maintain the integrity and functionality of the duct packing over time.
The term “military-grade” can have a variety of meanings that are perspective dependent. In 2014, Ford Motor Company emphasized the term heavily in advertising campaigns to garner consumer acceptance for the transition from steel to aluminum in the body of their flagship F150 model. As cited by Ford, “Engineers selected these high-strength, military-grade aluminum alloys because of the metals’ unique ability to withstand tough customer demands.” From this point-of-view, military-grade implies superior performance. However, the bureaucratic and logistical barriers required for certification to military-grade acceptance levels per DoD performance requirements can also be perceived as impediments to innovation and the transition of fundamental science into tangible product. This is in-part due to the legacy age of many DoD performance standards dating to the 1950s and 1960s when the US military peaked in technology market share and was responsible for approximately two-thirds of domestic research and development (R&D) and one-third of global R&D.
Military performance requirements for adhesives have been traditionally derived to fulfill niche defense needs in harsh operational environments with little consideration for dual-use commercial potential. U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen, MD The term “military-grade” can have a variety of meanings that are perspective dependent. In 2014, Ford Motor Company emphasized the term heavily in advertising campaigns to garner consumer acceptance for the transition from steel to aluminum in the body of their flagship F150 model. As cited by Ford, “Engineers selected these high-strength, military-grade aluminum alloys because of the metals' unique ability to withstand tough customer demands.” From this point-of-view, military-grade implies superior performance. However, the bureaucratic and logistical barriers required for certification to military-grade acceptance levels per DoD performance requirements can also be perceived as impediments to innovation and the transition of fundamental science into tangible product. This is in-part due to the legacy age of many DoD performance standards dating to the 1950s and 1960s when the US military peaked in technology market share and was responsible for approximately two-thirds of domestic research and development (R&D) and one-third of global R&D. In 2023 the commercial private sector provides the overriding funding stream for technology development for primarily non-military applications. Since the “golden age” of DoD-derived performance specifications the interactive roles between requirements and innovation are now understood to be dependent on their timings to product life cycle, which is typically ignored universally across the materials domain. Traditional DoD adhesive specifications are measures of late life cycle quality assurance for low-risk bonding applications with long-term historical usage and well-understood design allowables.
As aerospace engineers push the boundaries of new frontiers, the need for advanced materials that can withstand the rigorous demands of these advanced applications is relentless. These materials go beyond functionality; it is about ensuring reliability in the skies, where failure is not an option. Fluorosilicone can help do exactly that. In the 1960s, the U.S. Air Force noticed that conventional silicone-based sealants, coatings, and other components degraded rapidly when exposed to fuels, de-icing fluids, and other hydrocarbon-based solvents. Dimethyl-based silicones are non-polar and easily absorb hydrocarbon-based solvents, which may result in material swelling, mechanical weakening, and ultimately, failure.
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