The goal: Good as new
Blacksburg, Va.-- Adhesive bonding of advanced materials during the construction of such modern structures as aircraft is done in controlled environments where high heat can be used as the structure is formed and assembled. Once the structure is put into service, however, the question becomes how to repair damage without compromising the overall performance of the material.
A team of Virginia Tech chemistry department students, staff, and faculty members have developed new oligoetherimides with acetylene and maleimide reactive end groups for secondary bonding adhesive applications. The new material cure at 250 to 280 degrees C, compared to 350 to 370 degrees C for the primary bonding.
"They exhibit as high adhesive strengths as those of the primary bonding adhesives and retain most of the adhesive strength at different aging conditions," reports Muthumanickam Sankarapandian, post doctoral associate, who will present the research at the 218th American Chemical Society National Meeting in New Orleans.
The poster, "Effect of residual solvent on the adhesive strength of the secondary bonding adhesives," (PMSE 197), will be presented at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 24, in Convention Center Exhibit Hall A. Co-authors are Hong Zhuang, postdoctoral associate; Sue Mecham, research scientist; Nazan Gunduz, graduate student; A.R. Schulz, adjunct faculty member, and James E. McGrath, university distinguished professor and director of the NSF Center for High Performance Adhesives and Composites at Virginia Tech.
Contact for more information: Muthumanickam Sankarapandian, 540-231-8224, or msankar@vt.edu