Shelf Stable Epoxy Repair Adhesive

WP-1763

Objective

The U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy, along with their suppliers, Northrop Grumman and Henkel, have a significant need to reduce the amount of waste generated during composite aircraft manufacture and repair. Large aircraft repair facilities spend millions of dollars each year to replace and discard expired epoxy film adhesives.

The objective of this project is to develop a nonhazardous, one-part epoxy film adhesive that is stable at ambient temperatures for up to one year and can be thermally activated immediately prior to use. The new adhesive would significantly reduce waste without releasing volatile organic compounds (VOC) or hazardous air pollutants (HAP).

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Technical Approach

The reactivity of the adhesive will be preserved at higher temperatures and for longer periods of time by microencapsulating the curing accelerant and allowing it to be released under controlled conditions. Key components of the one-part epoxy film adhesive are (1) the use of accelerants with low toxicity and environmental impact and (2) their encapsulation with materials that have very low permeability and will not interfere with the epoxy curing process. The adhesive is compatible with existing film formulations and processes. One-part adhesive systems are now recognized by the aerospace industry as a superior choice because of their ability to provide control over bond line thickness, improved mechanical properties, reduced risk of entrapped air in the bond line, and improved quality control by eliminating component mixing.

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Benefits

One-part epoxy adhesives that can be stored at ambient temperature for up to one year would enable critical improvements in the environmental impact, performance, and total costs of composite repair processes. Advantages relative to existing products include longer shelf life, ability to store at room temperature, no emissions of VOCs or HAPs, significant waste reduction, significant reduction in material costs, reduced storage complexity and cost, and equivalent mechanical properties. (Anticipated Project Completion - 2013)

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Points of Contact

Principal Investigator

Mr. Michael Cushman

Infoscitex Corporation

Phone: 781-890-1338 x225

Fax: 781-890-1330

Program Manager

Weapons Systems and Platforms

SERDP and ESTCP

Document Types

  • Fact Sheet - Brief project summary with links to related documents and points of contact.
  • Final Report - Comprehensive report for every completed SERDP and ESTCP project that contains all technical results.
  • Cost & Performance Report - Overview of ESTCP demonstration activities, results, and conclusions, standardized to facilitate implementation decisions.
  • Technical Report - Additional interim reports, laboratory reports, demonstration reports, and technology survey reports.
  • Guidance - Instructional information on technical topics such as protocols and user’s guides.
  • Workshop Report - Summary of workshop discussion and findings.
  • Multimedia - On demand videos, animations, and webcasts highlighting featured initiatives or technologies.
  • Model/Software - Computer programs and applications available for download.
  • Database - Digitally organized collection of data available to search and access.