Adhesives in composites

Adhesives are used to attach composites to themselves as well as to other surfaces. Adhesive bonding is the method of choice for bondingthermoset composites and is sometimes used for thermoplastic composites. There are several considerations involved in applying adhesives effectively. The joint or interface connection must be engineered to select the proper adhesive and application method to ensure bond strength. Careful surface preparation and cure are critical to bond performance.

Adhesives should be used in a joint design where the maximum load is transferred into the component using the loading characteristics of the adhesive and the composite material. The most common adhesives are acrylics, epoxies, and urethanes. A high-strength bond with high-temperature resistance would indicate the use of an epoxy, whereas a moderate temperature resistance with good strength and rapid cure might use an acrylic. For applications where toughness is needed, urethane might be selected.